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».< DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC C0A1MERCE 

E. E. PRATT, Chief 


SPECIAL AGENTS SERIES—No. 125 


MARKETS FOR 

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND 
MACHINERY IN ARGENTINA 



SZ'ir 



FRANK H. von MOTZ 

i 

Commercial Agent 





WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1916 











I 





ADDITIONAL COPIES 

OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM 
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 
'GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 

AT 

10 CENTS PER COPY 


D. of D. 

NOV ' 3 1916 



CONTENTS 


ns 




<3V 


Page. 

Letter of submittal. 5 

I. Introduction. 7 

Physical features of the country. 7 

Character and distribution of the population. 9 

Cities and distributing points. 11 

Economic development. 14 

Chief industries. 17 

II. Agricultural conditions. 26 

Subdivision of large estates. 26 

Damage by frost, drought, and locusts.;. 28 

Area under cultivation. ' 28 

Soil and rainfall. 30 

Irrigation. 34 

Fertilizers. 35 

Large estates. 35 

Small farms. 37 

Methods of cultivation... 38 

Future expansion of agriculture. 38 

Principal crops raised. 39 

Possible new crops. 40 

Stock raising. 40 

III. Details of the market. 42 

Countries supplying implements and machinery. 43 

Packing and marking. 43 

Plows. 45 

Harrows. 53 

Seeding machinery. 55 

Cultivators. 58 

Hay tools. 60 

Harvesting machinery. 62 

Windmills and pumps. 65 

Wagons and farm trucks. 66 

Carriages and pleasure vehicles. 67 

Manure spreaders. 68 

Land rollers. 68 

Winnowers. 68 

Feed grinders. 69 

Horse powers. 69 

Corn shelters. 70 

Thrashers. 72 

Thrashing engines. 73 

Silos and silage cutters. 74 

Gasoline engines... 75 

IV. Trade methods and suggestions... 78 

Concentration of the import business. 79 

Opportunities for small manufacturers..:. 79 

Establishment of branch houses. 80 

Profits. 82 

Credits and banking facilities. 83 

Language, currency, weights, and measures. 83 

Transportation routes—Railways. 83 

Suggestions to manufacturers. 84 

Argentine international trade. 85 

3 
































































V 


% 



LETTER OF SUBMITTAL, 


Department of Commerce, 

. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 

Washington , August 30, 1916. 

Sir: Submitted herewith is the first of a series of reports by Com¬ 
mercial Agent Frank H. von Motz on the South American markets for 
agricultural implements and machinery. This report covers Argen¬ 
tina and gives in detail the market requirements of that country 
for all kinds of farm machinery, supplemented with useful information 
on agricultural conditions and trade methods, gathered during a per¬ 
sonal investigation. The large and growing market in Argentina 
for this class of machinery is particularly attractive to American 
manufacturers, who now supply by far the larger share of the 
imports, and it is believed that this report will be of special interest 
and prove valuable in further extending sales. 

Respectfully, 

E. E. Pratt, 

Chief of Bureau. 

To Hon. William C. Redfield, 

Secretary of Commerce. 









MARKETS FOR AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND 
MACHINERY IN ARGENTINA. 


I. INTRODUCTION. 

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY. 

Argentina occupies the southern portion of South America, on the 
Atlantic seaboard, between 22° and 55° 30' south latitude and 54° 20' 
and 73° 30' west longitude. Its area, according to the latest figures 
obtainable, is 1,153,417 square miles, embracing a population of not 
quite 8,000,000 inhabitants, one-fifth of whom live in the city of 
Buenos Aires, the Federal capital. The density of population is 6.9 
per square mile. 

In order quickly to picture in one’s mind just what Argentina rep¬ 
resents, it is necessary to consider its physical aspects, and for that 
purpose the country maybe divided into three sections—the Andean 
or western, the pampean, and the mesopotamian. The Andean sec¬ 
tion, as its name indicates, is mountainous. It contains numerous 
valleys of varied character, and abounds in mineral wealth, which, 
however, has not been exploited, owing to the lack of transportation 
facilities. It is doubtful if anything in the way of developing the 
natural resources of this region will be done in many years to come. 
Here, unlike in other parts of the Republic, the building of railroads 
is very expensive, there is not an abundance of agricultural products 
to be moved to insure a steady income, great stretches of arid land 
beckon neither the capitalist nor humble settler, and progress must 
be very slow. The northern and Andean Provinces and the western 
part of the southern Territories form part of this division. 

The pampean section, comprising about nine-tenths of the whole 
country, embraces the southern and central parts of the Republic 
It is an immense plain more than 2,000 miles long, rolling toward the 
southeast. In it are the rich Provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa 
Fe and the Territory of the Pampa. In this vast district there are 
several low mountain ranges, but, generally speaking, it is a prairie, 
like that part of the United States lying north of Oklahoma, though 
more level, with fewer rivers and streams. Much of the eastern part- 
resembles the broad prairies of northern Iowa. The western part 
might be compared with the Kansas prairie. The climate varies with 
the latitude. Severe winters are experienced in the south, especially 
in Patagonia, while the north is almost tropical, being visited only 
occasionally by light frosts of short duration. 

In the region known as the Pampa, from the mouth of the La Plata 
River for about 600 miles westward toward the Andes Mountains and 
about the same distance from north to south, the climate might be 
compared with that of the Gulf States. The heat is great during the 
middle of the summer, and the winter cold is moderate. In the far 

7 



8 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


north there is a wet summer season, with a heavy precipitation. 
Along the eastern border of the region, in the south the rainfall will 
average about 32 inches a year, hut gradually diminishes from ea>st 
.to west, so that much of the land near the mountains is too dry to 
be cultivated except by irrigation. Fortunately, the melting snows 
of the Andes, formed into streams, many of which lose themselves in 
the Pampa toward the east, provide irrigation. The whole of the 
Pampa, except the semitropical northern division just described, is 
bare and open prairie, covered with grass often 6 or 7 feet high, but 
without any trees except where they have been planted around the 
modest dwellings of the farmers. In this section are many lagoons 
and swamps and several salt marshes. 

The mesopotamian division lies between the Rivers Parana and 
Uruguay, and comprises the Provinces of Entre Rios and Corrientes 
and the Territory of Misiones. At its southern extremity is the pic¬ 
turesque delta of the Parana, dotted with islands of rich black soil, 
to which cattle are often taken in a dry year when pastures on the 
mainland fail. 

Advancing toward the north, the land becomes undulating. In the 
northern part of the Province of Corrientes the land dips in a remark¬ 
able manner, forming great lagoons and marshes, and again changes 
in character in the Territory of Misiones, where it is generally hilly 
and covered with forests which extend far inland. 

MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS. 

The mountains of the Republic belong to four separate systems— 
the Andean, the central, the southern, and the Misiones. The princi¬ 
pal chain, the great Cordillera of the Andes, or Western Cordillera, 
extends the length of the Republic from north to south as far as 
Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), forming the boundary line between 
Argentina and Chile. In the north the peaks are very high, gradually 
diminishing in the south until they are almost lost in the undulating 
plains of Patagonia. The mountain systems of the northern Prov¬ 
inces belong to the Eastern Cordillera, the true Andean system 
known to the ancients as Antis 

RIVER SYSTEMS. 

The rivers of the Republic belong to five systems: (1) The Rio de 
La Plata system, comprising the Rivers Parana, Uruguay, Paraguay. 
Vermejo ; Iguazu, North Salado, Carcarana, and all their tributaries; 
(2) the central system, comprising the Rivers Primero, Segundo,' 
Tercero or Carcarana, the Cuarto, and the Quinto; (3) the Cordillera 
system, comprising all the rivers which rise in the Cordilleras, some 
of which lose themselves in the swamps or lagoons of the plains 
among them the western Vermejo, Jachal, San Juan, Mendoza, 
Tunuyan, Diamante, Atuel, and a number of others which traverse 
Tucuman and the western Provinces; (4) the Pampa system, com¬ 
prising the rivers which cross the southern part of the Province of 
Buenos Aires and empty into the Atlantic Ocean; (5) the Patagonian 
system, comprising the rivers which cross the southern Territories 
from the Andes to the Atlantic; the principal ones are the Colorado, 
Negro, Chubut, Deseado, Santa Cruz, and the Gallegos. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


9 


The Rio de la Plata is formed by the junction of the Parana and 
Uruguay Rivers, which, with their numerous tributaries, drain 
nearly one-fourth of the South American Continent. In formation 
the La Plata is like a great gulf; it is about 29 miles wide at Buenos 
Aires and something like 125 miles wide where it enters the Atlantic 
Ocean. The depth of the river varies from 30 to 90 feet, but there 
are numerous sand and mud banks, dangerous to navigation, and 
great sums of money are spent to keep the channel to Buenos Aires 
open for ocean liners and above Buenos Aires for small steamers. 
The rise and fall of the river is little influenced by the tide; the 
freshets of its tributaries have a much greater influence, as also do 
the heavy winds which often prevail. The pampero, or stormy 
southwest wind, carries the water high onto the coast of Uruguay, 
often causing great damage to shipping. 

Argentina has a coast line on the Atlantic Ocean of about 1,815 
miles. The coast is generally low and sandy in the north, rising 
somewhat in the south, where it often terminates in bluffs. 

SEASONS. 

The seasons in Argentina, owing to its geographical position south 
of the Equator, are just the opposite from our own. The spring sea¬ 
son is from September 21 to December 21, the summer season from 
December 21 to March 21, the autumn season from March 21 to 
June 21, and the winter season from June 21 to September. 21. The 
dates given are about right for all the region in the latitude of the 
city of Buenos Aires. The farther north one goes the more tropical 
the climate; likewise the farther south one goes the more it is like 
traveling north in our own country, and consequently the exact date 
when any particular season opens will be subject to the correspond¬ 
ing changes. 

CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION. 

When the Spanish adventurers arrived, about 1535, the vast terri¬ 
tory now known as Argentina was inhabited only by a few wild 
Indian tribes to whom agriculture was unknown. The country was 
very poor in wild animals, and therefore did not furnish much food 
to the wandering Indians and their numbers did not increase. The 
Spaniards early realized the possibilities of the country and brought 
from Europe cattle and horses, many of which escaped to the open 
country and formed the nucleus of the herds of wild cattle and 
horses which roamed the pampas. These herds of cattle later fur¬ 
nished food to the Indians, and the horses furnished mounts with 
which they carried on their depredations and warfare against the 
defenseless towns and rude homes of the early settlers. 

By 1852 most of the native Indians had disappeared; lar^e num¬ 
bers were killed in battle, and many died from the effects of diseases. 
Early in the nineteenth century an organized campaign against what 
few remained practically annihilated them, and of the early inhabi¬ 
tants there remained only, a few partly civilized Indians in the north, 
who had learned to sustain themselves from the Indians of the west 
coast and who were harmless. 

Slavery was prohibited by law, and consequently great numbers 
of Negroes who were taken to Brazil never were in demand in Argen- 


10 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


tina nor were they permitted to go there. Even to this day very few 
Negroes are found m the Republic, and there are no signs of the infu¬ 
sion of Negro blood into the veins of Argentinians. In the northern 
Provinces one is confronted at every turn with the unmistakable 
signs of the infusion of Indian blood into the veins of the offspring 
of the earlier settlers. 

For many years the major portion of the immigrants who came 
to settle in the fertile lands of the pampas, which an Argentine writer 
very aptly describes as “ the image of the sea in land,” were Spaniards. 
Later came the Italians, who now predominate among the foreign-born 
residents of the country. Many thousands of settlers came from 
other countries, a total of 20 different nationalities. 

The early strife with the Indians and a succession of civil wars fol¬ 
lowing the war of independence, the solitary life of the farmer or 
cattleman on the immense plains, where the only sight to greet the 
eyes was an uncertain horizon, losing itself in the vapors which rose 
from the earth, making it impossible to distinguish where the earth 
ended and the sky began, all helped to produce a type of pioneer, 
the “ Gaucho,” from whom the Argentinians have descended, and 
who, having all hut disappeared, lives in the song and romance of 
the country. Virtues he had, for he was daring and loyal. Rising 
at-dawn and not retiring until the night was well advanced, always 
occupied with his horses or cattle, the Gaucho had no opportunity 
to participate in any form of social reunion. The loneliness of his 
life created a rugged type, well able to care for himself, with a lean¬ 
ing toward stoicism. The Gaucho opened the way westward and 
northward across the plains, and his descendants, following in his 
steps, form a part of the present-day rural population. Generally 
speaking, they lead simple lives, with few comforts and no luxuries. 

IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION. 

The rest of the rural population is made up of immigrants, prin¬ 
cipally of Latin extraction, who came from Europe to establish 
homes for themselves. There is, however, a counter current of emi¬ 
gration of varying importance depending on whether or not there is 
'a good harvest. Emigrants are mostly single men, or married men, 
who, leaving their families in Europe, go to Argentina to work dur¬ 
ing the harvest season and return to their homes for the harvest there. 
The following table of figures on immigration and emigration gives 
a good idea of the importance of this movement. Statistics for 
1915 are not complete. 


Years. 

Immi¬ 

grants. 

Emi¬ 

grants. 

Excess of 
immi¬ 
grants. 

Years. 

Immi¬ 

grants. 

Emi¬ 

grants. 

Excess of 
immi¬ 
grants. 

1908... 

255,710 
231,084 
289,640 
255,772 

85,412 
94,644 
97,854 

120,709 

170,298 
136,440 
191,786 
105.063 

1912. 

323,403 
302,047 
115,308 
80,756 

119,933 
156,829 
153,657 

203,470 

145,218 

o38,349 

1909. 

1913. 

1910. 

1914. 

1911. 

1915. 






a Deficit. 


A large percentage of the immigrants find employment in the 
country, either as farm laborers or as cattle or sheep men. About 






















MARKETS IN ARGENTINA- 


11 


one-fifth of the inhabitants of Argentina reside in the city of Buenos 
Aires, and there are a number of other cities whose combined popu¬ 
lation represents a high percentage of the total number of inhabit¬ 
ants. The rural population is chiefly engaged in agricultural and 
pastoral pursuits. What little manufacturing is done is carried on 
m the cities. 

CITIES AND DISTRIBUTING POINTS. 

BUENOS AIRES. 

The city of Buenos Aires was founded in 1535 but does not possess 
any marks of antiquity, like European capitals, nor anything which 
recalls the past; everything is new. It is a cosmopolitan center and 
its different aspects suggest a great modern commercial city with 
plenty of activity. Buenos Aires is not an ocean port. It is situ¬ 
ated on the La Plata River some 129 miles north and west of Mon¬ 
tevideo, Uruguay, where the river offers its tribute to the Atlantic 
Ocean. 

The approach by sea to Buenos Aires is dull and uninteresting. 
After leaving the Atlantic Ocean the vessel enters the La Plata River, 
which is like a great hay of muddy water, at times almost as rough 
as the open ocean, but more often, especially in summer, calm as a 
mill pond, reflecting the strong light and heat from the sun. Pass¬ 
ing up the great river, about 30 miles wide, the only thing to attract 
the attention of the traveler is an occasional passing steamer or a 
dredge, assisting in the labor of keeping the channel open, which is 
done only at great expense. 

It has fallen to the lot of Buenos Aires to become a great city, 
and no one doubts that it will continue to grow and exert its influ¬ 
ence in every form of activity which may be initiated in Argentina. 
The largest city in the world south of the Equator, second only to 
Paris as a Latin center, Buenos Aires is the fourth largest city in the 
New World and tenth in population of the cities of the world. In 
Argentine commerce Buenos Aires occupies a monopolizing position; 
it is the center of Argentine culture and learning; all railways of 
importance converge within its limits; it is the center of the finan¬ 
cial power of the country and the seat of the Federal Government. 

PORT FACILITIES. 

The beautiful avenues, parks, and public and private buildings 
form a setting for a part of the gay life of the capital. The docks 
and port show another aspect of the greatness of Buenos Aires. 
Some 25 years ago vessels had to lie several miles off the city 
and discharge their cargoes into lighters and their passengers into 
rowboats or launches. For a period of 250 years after its foundation 
Buenos Aires was prohibited by Spain from having any direct com¬ 
mercial intercourse with foreign countries. The port of Buenos 
Aires came into existence at the close of that period, or about 1755, 
when the first port work was started. After many delays and after 
a number of schemes had been put forward and rejected, a contract 
was entered into with Madero Bros., in 1882, for the completion of 
a modern port. The work was begun in 1886 and what is known in 
Argentina as the Madero Port was inaugurated in 1897. The com¬ 
bined ports contain 10,508 linear yards of wharfage, which serve for 


12 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


loading and unloading ships drawing a maximum of 26 feet of water. 
The largest ship which can safely navigate in that depth is one with 
a capacity of about 14,000 tons. Most of the steamers trading 
between Buenos Aires and other ports are of 12,000 tons or less. 

Access to the port is effected through a channel divided into two 
branches, a north branch and a south branch. The north channel 
has a depth of 21 feet at ordinary tide and enters the port at the 
north basin. Steamers from foreign ports land passengers at the 
docks in the north basin and baggage is inspected there by the cus¬ 
toms authorities. The south branch, which has a depth of 18 feet, 
is carried from the main channel to the mouth of the Riachuelo, a 
small river south of the main port. Each branch of the channel is 
about 310 feet wide and has luminous buoys on each side every 
1,500 feet. 

The port consists of two basins and five docks. The docks are 
connected by narrow channels which permit only one ship to pass at 
a time. Bridges for foot passengers and traffic, operated by hydrau¬ 
lic power, can be swung across these channels. The total area of 
water inclosed by the port is 788,573 square yards. The north basin 
has two dry docks, respectively 490 and 585 feet in length, 65 feet 
wide at the bottom, 90.74 feet at the top, and 35.26 feet deep, which 
permit the dry-docking of any ship able to enter the port. The 
opening and closing of dock gates, flood gates, etc., and the opera¬ 
tion of all cranes is done by hydraulic power, provided by three 
separate power houses located in the port and generating 1,325 indi¬ 
cated horsepower. 

There are 24 warehouses, 21 of which belong to the Government; 
the other 3 are private property and are used exclusively for the 
storage of grain. The total capacity of the 24 warehouses is 740,365 
cubic yards and the total floor space 151,451 square yards. There 
are nearly 50 miles of railway lines belonging to the port, and for 
raising heavy weights there is a floating crane of 40 tons capacity 
and several smaller ones. 

Two classifying grain elevators, one each in Docks Nos. 2 and 3, 
have been completed. That in Dock No. 3 belongs to a Belgian 
company, has a capacity of 120,000 tons, and can discharge about 
10,000 tons per day of 10 hours. It is built on a large platform of 
reinforced concrete, the towers being of brick. Attached to this 
elevator is a flour mill with a daily capacity of 4,000 sacks of flour. 
The elevator in Dock No. 2 belongs to the Central Argentine Rail¬ 
way Co. Its foundation goes down about 32 feet to the indurated 
mud or “tosca” underlying the surface stratum. 

Although of large proportions, the present port facilities are inade¬ 
quate in times of normal shipping. Accordingly, in 1911, a contract 
to extend the port facilities was entered into with C. H. Walker & 
Co. The plan calls for the expenditure of $24,012,789, and when 
completed will afford greatly increased facilities. The total accom¬ 
modation provided will be sufficient to permit 20 vessels, each 500 
feet long, to effect operations simultaneously, or permit of the 
annual movement of 3,425,400 tons. The contract stipulated com¬ 
pletion within five years and seven months, a term which has had 
to he extended on account of the European war and which may have 
to be further extended. Arrivals of steamers and sailing vessels in 
1914, excluding river and coasting steamers, totaled 1,938 steamers 


MARKETS IK ARGENTINA. 


13 


and 101 sailing vessels, as compared with 2,421 and 168 for 1913. 
The 1914 returns are the lowest since 1908. Arrivals in 1915 
included 4,117 steamers and 268 sailers. Sixty per cent of the 
maritime trade of Argentina is handled through the port of Buenos 
Aires. The arrivals according to countries were as follows: 


Years. 

British. 

German. 

Italian. 

French. 

Other. 

1911. 

Per cent. 
61.00 
60.50 
59.00 
56.00 

Per cent. 
10.75 
11.25 
12.00 
8.75 

Per cent. 
9.50 
7.25 

7.75 

8.75 

Per cent. 
6.00 
6.75 
7.00 
8.50 

Per cent. 
12.75 
14.25 
14.25 
19.00 

1912. 

1913. 

1914. 



Over-sea vessels pay an entrance fee of 15 cents per ton or fraction 
thereof; in ballast, half that amount; on return from river ports to 
complete cargo, 2 cents per ton; vessels of 100 tons or less exclusively 
engaged in the coasting trade, three-quarters of a cent per ton; exceeding 
100 tons, 1 cent per ton. Over-sea vessels berthed within the port pay 
dock dues of 5 cents per day for every 10 tons or fraction thereof; 
vessels engaged in the coastwise trade, of whatever tonnage, pay one- 
quarter of the foregoing rates. Vessels which leave the port to com¬ 
plete operations in the roads, unless ordered there by the health de¬ 
partment, are subject to the same charges. 

ROSARIO. 

Rosario, the second city of the Republic, is situated on the River 
Parana about 129 miles north of Buenos Aires. It was founded in 
1730 and is an active up-to-date commercial city of about 200,000 
inhabitants. A double-track railway line, over which modern trains 
are run, furnishes a quick means oi transportation between Buenos 
Aires and Rosario. Merchandise is transported on the river, as it is 
of sufficient depth to permit ocean-going vessels to tie up alongside 
the wharves. The port is an open one built along the river bank, 
and the proper depth is maintained by dredging. Port regulations 
and fees are, for all practical purposes, the same as those applying at 
Buenos Aires. 

In Rosario many large Buenos Aires importers have established 
branch houses and warehouses. Stocks for these branches come direct 
from the United States or Europe. The farming district served by 
Rosario commercial houses is one of the richest regions in the entire 
Republic, and here, too, are found more farm owners than in any dis¬ 
trict outside that served directly from Buenos Aires. There are sev¬ 
eral important jobbers in Rosario who do not have houses in Buenos 
Aires but who are well known everywhere in the Republic. 

BAHIA BLANCA. 

Bahia Blanca is the third port in importance and is situated 450 
miles south of Buenos Aires. The two cities are connected by several 
branches of the Great Southern Railway, and there is also a direct 
line from Bahia Blanca to Rosario. Bahia Blanca has a population 
of 65,000 and is of great importance commercially for the reason that 
it serves a vast extent of land to the southwest, west, and northwest. 














14 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


A large part of the land westward, in the Pampa, has only been 
brought under cultivation within the last 10 years. Hence merchants 
in Bahia Blanca carry large and varied stocks of everything needed in 
the development of a new country, which is a vast open prairie and 
does not furnish material to build even a very modest home for the 
settlers. Here, as in Rosario, Buenos Aires importers have estab¬ 
lished branch houses in order to meet more satisfactorily the require¬ 
ments of their customers. 

OTHER CITIES. 

Santa Fe and Parana, both river ports, are important cities and 
commercial centers of the districts in which they are located. The 
former, the capital of the Province of the same name, has ever been 
the seat of great political strife. The latter, the capital of the Prov¬ 
ince of Entre Rios, has had its share of political troubles, but, being 
more of a commercial center than Santa Fe, does not make so much 
of them. 

Cordoba, capital of the Province of the same name, is a fine old 
city of some 165,000 inhabitants. Its ancient university and the fame 
of its men of letters are known and recognized throughout South 
America. In the city of Cordoba and in the villages and country sur¬ 
rounding it even to-day one sees in the dark-skinned inhabitants un¬ 
mistakable signs of the commingling of the early Spanish settlers and 
the native Indians. 

Of the northern cities Tucuman is no doubt the most important as 
well as one of the most attractive on account of the natural beauty 
of its surroundings. The climate is subtropical, and in summer the 
thermometer often registers 120° F. At the same time it is no un¬ 
common sight to see snow on the near-by mountains. 

Mendoza, capital of the Province of Mendoza, is the most important 
city and distributing point in the west. It is one of the oldest cities 
of the Republic, but there are few traces of antiquity, owing to the 
fact that the city was once all but destroyed by an earthquake. 
Beyond the city to the west lie the Andes Mountains, which contain 
about the only natural beauty to be found in Argentina. 

In effect, then, three cities stand out as occupying eminent posi¬ 
tions as distributing centers, and are, in the order of importance, 
Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Bahia Blanca. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 

As recently as 1852 only a very small percentage of the land was 
under cultivation and commerce had only begun to develop. The 
only wealth consisted of vast herds of cattle and horses. The early 
settlers had not been seafaring people, nor did their descendants turn 
to such a life. The country had been engaged in civil warfare prac¬ 
tically since the war of independence. With the downfall of the dic¬ 
tator Rosas, on February 3, 1852, a new era began. Immigrants came 
from Europe, principally from Italy and Spain, and large amounts of 
European capital were invested in the country. Extending westward 
and southward and northward for hundreds of miles, with hardly a 
break of any kind, the vast prairies offered an ideal surface over which 
to build railways, which now cover every part of the country except 
the northern marshes and extreme southern wildernesses. From a 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


15 


small beginning in 1857, the railway mileage had grown to over 
24,000 miles in 1914. Immigrants closely followed the railway lines, 
and they have planted in crops or laid out in stock farms all the 
central part of the Republic, much of the land north and south of 
Buenos Aires, and have penetrated deep into the pampas to the west. 

It is roughly estimated that there are 253,000,000 acres of land 
capable of cultivation. This amount, vast as it is, does not take into 
account the land along the foothills of the Andes and in the southern 
portion of the Republic, which has been deemed arid, but which may 
be made to produce by dry farming or other methods when the popu¬ 
lation becomes dense enough to make it worth while to devote atten¬ 
tion to its exploitation. The total area under cultivation in 1914 was 
about 60,000,000 acres, or a little less than 25 per cent of the area 
susceptible of cultivation. 

The value of all products exported rose from $22,367,312 in 1864 
to $483,504,547 in 1913, but suffered a relapse in 1914, due to the 
world-wide conditions, during which year the exports totaled $349,- 
254,141. Exports in 1915 reached a total of $558,280,643. 

The value of imports has increased in about the same proportion, 
the figures being as follows: 1864, $23,143,240; 1913, $421,352,542; 
1914, $271,817,900; 1915, $226,892,733. In 1914 and 1915 imports 
were greatly reduced on account of conditions in the Old World and 
on account of high freight rates. At this time (May, 1916) it is diffi¬ 
cult to conjecture what the position will be six months hence. An 
abundant harvest has given the farmers of the country large quantities 
of cereals, but little trading is being done and less exporting, owing 
to the difficulty of obtaining ships. Theoretically, the country has 
greater purchasing power than at any time in its history, yet the ad¬ 
vance in freight rates, in some cases 400 or 500 per cent over rates 
which prevailed prior to the war, will make merchants cautious. 
Generally speaking, purchases will be confined to actual necessities 
until a more normal condition prevails. 

RECENT FINANCIAL DEPRESSION. 

The first signs of an approaching period of depression, and one of 
grave danger to Argentine finance, manifested itself shortly after the 
commencement of the first Balkan war. European capital, which 
had been freely invested in all sorts of enterprises, was needed at 
home and was not available at any price. All this happened when a 
long period of speculation had caused property values to rise enor¬ 
mously and even reach a dangerous point. In parts of the country 
there were crop failures for two successive years, and many tenant 
farmers abandoned land which they had leased, owing for rent; seed, 
maintenance, and in many cases for considerable sums of money that 
had been advanced to them. 

Early in 1914 the outlook was very gloomy indeed. The values of 
farm land and city property fell in greater proportion and even 
more hurriedly than they had risen in prosperous times. Commercial 
failures were frequent and increased with dangerous rapidity. Banks 
immediately began to restrict credit and a majority of them sus¬ 
pended loans. The wheat crop had been only an ordinary one in 
many parts of the country, especially in the south; farmers did not 
even get enough grain for seed for the next planting. In May, when 


16 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


it was time to harvest a very heavy com crop, which everyone ex¬ 
pected would make up in some measure for the loss of wheat, heavy 
and continuous rains delayed the work of the farmers, accentuating 
the position. An appeal was made to the National Congress for 
some measures of relief, but the Government, after having carefully 
studied the situation, held to the view that unwarranted specula¬ 
tion and excessive credit had been the main factors in bring¬ 
ing about the unfavorable position and declined to take any steps 
toward readjustment through legislation. 

The dark days of June and July came and went and on August 1 
there was a pronounced tendency to start a run on the banks. Fortu¬ 
nately for the credit of the country, it was Saturday, a day on which 
the hanks close at noon, probably the only thing which prevented a 
panic. The startling news and war rumors which came from Europe 
caused further uneasiness, for every one had been looking toward 
Europe for relief from a situation which was becoming untenable. 
No one dared even hazard a guess as to what would happen if the 
public rushed to the Government Office for the Conversion of Money, 
to exchange paper for gold. On Sunday afternoon, August 2, the 
Government Ministers held a meeting and decided on the attitude 
the Government would assume in the face of the conflict. A decree 
issued in the evening closed all banks and the Government Conver¬ 
sion Office for one week. This permitted Congress, which was then 
•in regular session, to get fuller details of the European situation and 
its effect on the country and to discuss without haste measures for 
relief. 

The Government measure was passed by Congress in its regular 
session on August 5, 1914. It provided for a moratorium of 30 days 
for all banking liabilities due, or those about to fall due; suspended for 
30 days the paying out of gold by the Conversion Office; and au¬ 
thorized the National Bank to temporarily use the conversion fund of 
$30,000,000 held by it, and if necessary convert it into currency to 
create a fund for rediscounting bills discounted by other banks, the 
National Bank having full power to act. The measures thus adopted 
afforded ample time for the public to carefully study every phase of 
the situation; calmness was regained in a verv short time; commercial 
transactions were resumed, and every one felt that the situation was 
well in hand. Subsequent events revealed that the Government 
had, in consultation with representatives of the banks and prominent 
financiers, arrived at a correct decision. The banks resumed pay¬ 
ment, but their opening did not cause a run, as confidence in them and 
in the Government was fully established by the prompt action of 
Congress. 

Among numerous other laws passed during the regular session of 
Congress were one prohibiting the export of gold and one authorizing 
the Argentine legations abroad to receive gold in deposit, against 
which the Conversion Office in Buenos Aires would issue the cor¬ 
responding paper money. The latter proved of great value to 
Argentine commerce. 

The moratorium relating to internal transactions, having served its 
purpose, was soon suspended. The law relating to external transac¬ 
tions is as follows: 

Obligations arising from international operations originating in the countries which 
are at war, or in which a moratorium prevails against firms established in the Republic, 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


17 


are hereby considered to be prorogued until that situation disappears. When the 
situation which has originated this law shall have disappeared, the Government 
shall declare its effect to be suspended, giving 30 days’ notice. 

The following table shows the liabilities of all classes of failures, 
including compositions, bankruptcies, private arrangement of con¬ 
cerns, and civil cases. The amounts are in Argentine gold currency, 
$1 of which equals $0,965 United States currency. 


4 Location. 

1912 

1913 

1914 

Buenos Aires city. 

$17,016,455 
11,626,974 
5,453,070 
1,855,271 
4,081,007 

$51,344,931 
13,271,332 
4,920,043 
4,479,913 
6,104,013 

$109,636,077 
20,155,586 
21,274,709 
8,554,044 
‘29,621,850 

Buenos Aires Province . 

Santa Fe . 

Cordoba. 

In other parts of the Republic. 


The failures for 10 months of 1915, Januaiy to October, represented 
liabilities of only $58,954,991, and clearly indicate that commercial 
houses are now in a more promising position than at any time since 
early in 1913. Credits are restricted, and not much change in that 
respect can be expected until the close of the war. Large importing 
houses report collections very good. There has been a great falling 
off in sales, except in articles of prime necessity. Stocks are now 
low, and with another good harvest Argentina’s purchasing power 
will be almost unlimited. 

At this time, in commercial relations with other countries, Argen¬ 
tina is affected in much the same way as the United States in its 
foreign trade. It has no merchant marine for transporting its 
products nor can it, like the United States, command a sufficient 
number of vessels flying a foreign flag. Neutral vessels trading at 
the present time prefer the shorter haul between the United States 
and Europe to the long haul from Europe or the United States to 
Argentina. 

Those who have long associated themselves with everything which 
has to do with Argentina and who have carefully studied her ups 
and downs are bound to he optimistic regarding her commercial 
future. Periods of depression rapidly take form at intervals of five 
to seven years. They are of short duration and the general effect 
is nearly always good. Dispersed with even greater rapidity than 
they form, a period of great activity is almost sure to follow. Manu¬ 
facturers and merchants can profit greatly by keeping in close touch 
with the Argentine situation through reading one of the „ many 
periodicals or through correspondence with agents or direct repre¬ 
sentatives. Decided changes in the economic condition of the 
country are heralded by unmistakable signs many months in advance, 
which, passing unnoticed by the casual observer, will be clearly 
revealed to the student. 

CHIEF INDUSTRIES. 

Manufacturing industries have not been established on a large 
scale in Argentina, nor does it seem probable that they ever will be. 
In the .first place, the country is without coal of very great value; 
other raw products, if they exist at all, are far removed from con¬ 
venient centers, and cost of transportation would seem to indicate 

59835°—16-2 
















18 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


that their utilization is a very remote possibility. An overwhelming 
percentage of the Europeans who come to the Republic naturally 
turn to agriculture, partly because in most parts of this country 
agriculture has developed in a care-free way and requires no special 
training or aptitude. 

A condensed review of the industries related to agriculture and 
having influence on the market for agricultural machinery is given 
in the following pages. Values are in Argentine gold currency, $1 
of which equals SO.965 United States currency; the ton is the metric 
ton of 2,204.6 pounds. 

ALCOHOL. 

The production of alcohol in 1914 does not compare favorably with 
the average production for the last 11 years, and it even fell below 
the production of 1903. The figures for the last three years are as 
follows: 1913, 4,860,686 gallons; 1914, 3,000,348 gallons; 1915, 
4,322,300 gallons. 

BEER. 

Beer is a favorite beverage and is consumed in great quantities in 
every part of the Republic. On January 1, 1914, there were 35 
breweries in operation, 5 of which closed during the year. The 
breweries are modern and sanitary and the quality of the product 
compares very favorably with that of any other part of the world. 
Most of the barley used is imported in the form of malt. The quan¬ 
tity imported during recent years is as follows: 1911, 19,565 tons; 
1912, 22,264 tons; 1913, 24,636 tons; 1914, 17,488 tons. 

The total production of beer compared with imports is as follows: 


Years. 

Production. 

Imports. 

Years. 

Production. 

Imports. 

1911. 

Gallons. 
22,055,483 
24,077,552 
27,616,694 

Gallons. 
169,424 
249,885 
228,858 

1914. 

Gallons. 
26,520,904 
16,133, 229 

Gallons. 
135,410 

1912 . 

1915. 

1913. 





DAIRYING. 

Of late years there has been a steady annual rise in the production 
of milk, but much room for improvement still remains. With the 
spread of agriculture over a large part of the territory once used 
only for grazing purposes, land rents have increased enormously. 
There is a great scarcity of suitable dairy hands, and little is known 
about modern appliances for handling milk in a hygienic manner, 
except in *a few large establishments. Several of the latter are quite 
as up-to-date as one could find anywhere. The season of greatest 
milk production is during the spring and summer months, from 
October to April. At this time of the year everyone is occupied in 
the grain fields or with shearing, and labor, being in demand, com¬ 
mands a higher price than dairymen can pay.. 

Except in rare instances, milk cattle are not housed, nor are they 
fed rations of grain to keep them in good condition. They roam in 
large pastures, feeding on the native grasses, and at night and morning 
•are milked in large corrals. Modern dairy barns with complete 
equipment, now so rapidly taking the place of former insanitary 

















MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


19 


barns and sheds in the United States, are little known in Argentina. 
The migratory tendencies of a large percentage of the rural popula¬ 
tion, except in the Province of Buenos Aires and a part of the Province 
of Cordoba, which now produce most of the dairy products, keep 
landowners in other parts of the country from improving then- 
holdings. More settled conditions would lead farmers to give greater 
attention to the strictly industrial possibilities of their establish¬ 
ments. 

W hatever gains are recorded in the dairying industry must come 
through a demand for its products from without the country. In 
Argentina milk is little prized as an article of diet in any of the many 
ways in which it may be used. Butter was until recently very little 
used outside the cities. Even now it is little used by the inhabitants 
of the interior, and in many places, on account of its perishable 
nature and the lack of refrigerating systems, is obtained with diffi¬ 
culty. Cheese, on the otlu^ hand, is in great demand by all classes 
of society. In 1912 some 68,500,000 gallons of milk were elaborated, 
of which 71 per cent came from the Province of Buenos Aires and 
nearly all the remainder from the Province of Cordoba. Other 
figures for the same year are as follows: Cream produced, 37,377,489 
pounds; butter, 21,772,876 pounds; cheese from cows’ milk, 
12,390,382 pounds; number of creameries, 525; butter factories, 16; 
cheese factories, 129; mixed factories, 369. Of the 1,263 establish¬ 
ments, 224 did not operate during 1912. The value of the produc¬ 
tion is estimated at $8,067,400. 

FLOUR. 

There were 352 registered flour mills in the Republic in 1912, 52 of 
which were not in operation during that year. More than 1,217,000 
tons of wheat were handled, yielding 840,118 tons of flour and 360,990 
tons of by-products. The yield of flour from all mills averaged 69 
per cent; those in the city of Buenos Aires yielded 70.76 per cent. 
The output and the amount exported in recent years was: In 1912, 
output 840,118 metric tons, exports 131,580 tons; in 1913, output 
813,104 tons, exports 124,649 tons; in 1914, output 810,100 tons, 
exports 67,325 tons. The exports in 1915 were 116,049 tons. Brazil 
takes 80 to 85 per cent of the exported flour; the remainder goes to 
the United Kingdom and Europe. 

For many years the city of Buenos Aires has been the flour-mill 
center, and the industry at that place is becoming more and more 
important each year. In 1912, 36 per cent of the flour was milled 
in Buenos Aires. 

FORESTAL. 

In the northern and southwestern portions of the Republic are 
found extensive forests, comprising various kinds of valuable woods. 
Among these, in point of value, quebracho ranks first. Quebracho 
Colorado, or red quebracho, is a very hard wood much Sought after 
for the extract it furnishes, which forms the basis of a preparation for 
t a ning leather. When sawed into blocks it makes a very durable 
and attractive street pavement; no other wood can take its place for 
fence posts. It is so hard that nails or staples can not be driven into 
it, and when used for fence posts, holes through which the wires are 


20 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


run are drilled in the posts at regular intervals. Other woods which 
are found in abundance are, lignum-vitae, cypress, coigue, alerce, and 
manu. The latter three are native woods, of which, as far as can be 
ascertained, there are no American equivalents. There are over 
300 sawmills, situated in various parts of the Republic, with a total 
capital of $7,136,784 and annual sales amounting to $15,546,147, and 
9 quebracho-extract factories, with a total capitalization of $3,546,645 
and annual sales of $4,073,333. 

Owing to the scarcity of paper, brought about by the European 
war, considerable interest is being shown in proposal to utilize the 
wood of the “ auracaria imbricata” to produce pulp for the manufac¬ 
ture of paper. The tree is found in great profusion in the south¬ 
western part of the Republic, and a ton of pulp can be produced from 
four trees. One drawback to this proposal is the fact that the terri¬ 
tory where the tree is found is far removed from'important commer¬ 
cial centers, is served by only one railway, and cost of transportation 
would be an important item. The great waterways of the district 
might be used for transportation if proper boats were to be had. 

The great forests of the Republic have been despoiled of their treas¬ 
ures for many years, seemingly without let or hindrance, yet they 
still represent untold wealth, and Argentinians are beginning to 
realize the necessity for more drastic legislation to conserve this her¬ 
itage. A new method of exploitation must be agreed upon or the 
complete destruction of the forests will result. 

Another influence of the war has been to curtail greatly the importa¬ 
tion of coal. The railway companies and industrial and commercial 
houses have sought and are obtaining a substitute for this necessary 
article in wood from the forests. The value of forest products 
recently exported were: In 1912, $8,983,112; 1913, $10,617,985; 
1914, $9,238,745; 1915, $19,011,708. 

THE MEAT INDUSTRY. 

The introduction and perfection of systems of cold storage and trans¬ 
port, which had its beginning in 1877, greatly stimulated the export 
of meat. Argentina was the first country to export frozen and chilled 
meat to Europe. The development of the meat industry, although 
differing in some particulars from practices in the United States, com¬ 
pares very favorably with the rapid progress which has been made 
here. 

A large amount of American capital is invested in the industry in 
Argentina. Swift & Co., of Chicago, purchased the La Plata Cold 
Storage Co. in 1907 and the La Blanca Co. in 1909; in 1912 this firm 
acquired three-fourths of the capital stock in the New Patagonian 
Meat Preserving Co. and erected the San Julian works. In 1912 the 
La Blanca Co. passed from Swift & Co. to Armour and Morris. Armour 
& Co. have a fine new establishment at Rio Santiago, near La Plata. 
The works, opened July 4, 1915, cover 20 acres of ground and cost 
$3,500,000. The daily killing capacity is 1,500 cattle, 2,500 sheep, 
and 1,000 pigs. 

There are in all 10 freezing and chilling factories, 2 more under con¬ 
struction, and 2 concessions have been granted for new works. By 
far the largest portion of the meat exported goes to the United King¬ 
dom. Shipments to the United States have increased in importance 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


21 


since the tariff on imported meat was removed. The first shipment, 
consisting of 1,000 quarters chilled beef, went to New York in August, 
1913. 

The preparation of 11 jerked” or salted beef is a native industry of 
the La Plata River countries. As an Argentine industry, however, 
since the establishment of the great packing houses, it is gradually 
becoming less important. In Uruguay and southern Brazil the indus¬ 
try is steadily expanding, owing to a growing demand for its product 
in the West Indies, where the climate does not permit importation of 
other forms of meat. Works in southern Brazil have been greatly 
favored by protective legislation. 

The following table shows the value of meat cargoes exported and 
gives a good idea of the development of the industry: 


Years. 

Chilled and 
frozen beef. 

Frozen 

mutton. 

Sundry- 
frozen meat. 

Preserved 

meat. 

Extract of 
meat. 

Meat flour. 

1904. 

$9,774,354 
18,081,443 
25,370,815 
34,285,076 
36,896,726 

$7,089,287 
6,307,688 
6,008,133 
5,613,971 
4,695,001 

$272,308 
740,421 
721,618 
1,017,992 
1,032,877 

$242,861 
178,057 
1,215,370 
1,769,882 
1,308, 737 

$414,188 
1,239,918 
3,046,680 
1,223,860 
862,968 

$4,885 
1,239,918 
1,267,964 
1,349,557 
106,651 

1908. 

1910. 

1912. 

1914. 


Years. 

Preserved 

tongues. 

Live 

cattle. 

Live 

sheep. 

Concen¬ 
trated soup. 

Salted 

beef. 

Total. 

1904. 

$189,400 
262,058 
284,352 
189,523 
150,985 

$2,852,820 
1,876,820 
4,056,450 
9,140,080 
3,482,990 

$85,219 
311,376 
231,540 
314,694 
156,255 

$114,044 
115,822 
204,293 
197,433 
367,158 

$1,391,931 
772,819 
1,033,020 
1,400,748 
568,444 

$22, 431,297 
31,266,374 
43,440,235 
56,502,825 
49,628, 792 

1908. 

1910. 

1912. 

1914. 



MINES AND MINERALS. 

The early adventurers who came to South America from Europe 
sought only gold and precious stones. The immense territory now 
known as Argentina, being less rich in minerals, did not attract as 
many settlers as the west coast countries. No doubt the early settlers 
knew that the country possessed minerals, but no mines had been 
opened and worked by the native Indians, and consequently there 
were no rich church and house ornaments to fall an easy prey to the 
conquerors. 

The country is possessed of great mineral wealth, which is found in 
districts far from active commercial centers, without adequate means 
of transportation. Under the mining code of the Republic prospect¬ 
ing is allowed on all lands, and the discoverer has a prior claim to any 
wealth he may uncover. Copper and silver are found in the Province 
of Los Andes; borax in the north, in the Provinces of Salta and Jujuy; 
copper and gold are found in the Province of La Rioja and in Cata- 
marca; gold and silver in San Juan; copper and petroleum, the latter 
in limited quantities, in Mendoza; wolfram and marble in San Luis; 
and petroleum in Chubut. 

PETROLEUM. 

At Comodoro Rivadavia, in the Territory of Chubut, are the 
Government-owned petroleum fields, which are managed by a com¬ 
mission of engineers appointed by the National Government. A law, 




























22 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

passed in October, 1910, provided for the exploitation of this source 
of wealth by the National Government for a period of five years. 
The term was extended another five years during the 1915 session of 
Congress. Under the terms of the act the Government may not sell 
or lease the reserve, which covers an area of more than 12,000 acres of 
land. 

The product of the wells is a heavy oil with a very small percentage 
of light oil; it contains only about 0.14 to 0.24 per cent of sulphur, 
and its calorific power exceeds 10,000 calories. The oil, as it comes 
from the wells, may be used for fuel in internal-combustion motors of 
Diesel and semi-Diesel types. By the use of special burners it may be 
used as a fuel for generating steam in industrial plants and in loco¬ 
motives, thrashing engines, and road rollers. The supply however is 
limited, only 165,000 tons having been marketed since the wells were 
opened in 1911. So far, only a few experiments in the way of distil¬ 
lation have been made, showing 5 per cent of benzine, 16.27 per 
cent of illuminating oil, 67 per cent of heavy oil, and 11.73 per cent 
of coke. 

SUGAR. 

A great portion of the northern part of the Republic is suited, by 
climatic, conditions and the composition of its soil, to the growing of 
sugar cane. The first sugar plantation in Argentina, as well as the 
first mill for grinding the cane, was established by Jesuits in the mid¬ 
dle of the eighteenth century in the Province of Tucuman. At the 
time of the expulsion of the Jesuits from the country, owing to the 
political situation, the industry became practically extinct and did 
not assume very, great proportions until about 1880. 

The Province of Tucuman now produces about 75 per cent of the 
total yield. Two other Provinces, Salta and Jujuy, are some day 
destined to occupy first place, as they have a deep rich soil which 
produces in abundance, and there is not so much danger from frost 
as in Tucuman. Adequate transportation facilities, however, are 
lacking and will hardly develop as rapidly as desired. There is a 
marked contrast between the beautiful cane fields of Cuba and those 
of the Province of Tucuman. The Cuban cane is strong and well 
developed and grows luxuriantly, being especially favored by the 
deep rich soil, the absence of frosts, and an abundance of rain. 
Tucuman cane is not as strong nor does it contain the high percentage 
of saccharine found in Cuban cane. It is often injured by frosts 
shortly before the harvest season in August and often suffers greatly 
from too little rainfall during the growing season. 

The annual consumption of sugar in Argentina is estimated at 
215,000 tons. During the period 1909 to 1913 from 15 to 38 per cent 
of the quantity required had to be imported. The following table 
shows the domestic production and imports: 


Years. 

Yield. 

Imported. 

Total. 

Years. 

Yield. 

Imported. 

Total. 

1909. 

Tons. 
127,822 
148,509 
180,092 

147,249 

Tons. 

19,760 
56,823 
51,902 
30,076 

Tons. 

147,582 

205,332 

231,994 

177,325 

1913. 

Tons. 

276,141 

335,000 

150,000 

Tons. 

75,581 

6,508 

Tons. 

351,722 
341,508 

1910. 

1914. 

1911 . 

1915. 

1912. 

























MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


23 


The 1914 harvest was the largest on record, and with a surplus 
stock of 90,000 tons on the market there were early indications of a 
very favorable price. With the first tidings of the outbreak of the 
European war came an unprecedented demand, for Argentine sugar, 
resulting in the exportation of nearly 110,000 tons. The 1915 harvest 
fell more than 50 per cent below that of the previous j^ear, caused by 
heavy frosts in June before the cane was ripe. The estimated pro¬ 
duction of 150,000 tons, together with a great stock of 100,000 tons on 
hand, will just suffice for home consumption. 

Official returns of the sugar industry for the 1913 harvest are given 
in the table following: 


Province or Territory. 

Mills 

working. 

Cane 

crushed. 

Sugar 

produced. 

Yield. 

Tucuman. 

27 

Tons. 

2,611,947 
399,790 
27,008 

Tons. 

229,114 

37,481 

2,262 

Per cent. 
8.8 

Jujuy.. 

3 

9.4 

Santa Fe. 

2 

8.4 

Chaco. 

3 

65,157 

982 

5,212 

60 

8.0 

F ormosa. 

1 

6.1 

Corrientes. 

1 

7,108 

19,026 

415 

5.8 

Salta. 

1 

1,596 

8.4 




The total area under cultivation rose from 51,571 acres in 1888 to 
263,549 acres in 1914. The fields of cane everywhere indicate that, 
aside from the increased area devoted to cane culture, much greater 
progress has been made in the mill than in the field. To assist in 
turning raw cane into sugar the latest appliances have been installed. 
On the other hand, little progress has been made in cultivation, and 
its advancement is retarded by the necessity of resorting to hand 
labor. 

SALT. 

Salt has been produced only in quantities sufficient for commercial 
purposes since 1903. The output during 1914 was very close to 
30,000 tons, and in quality it compares very favorably with the best 
the world produces. 

TOBACCO. 

There were 1,446 registered manufacturers of cigars and cigarettes 
on January 1, 1915. Of this total a very small number manufacture 
cigars, many of those consumed being imported from Cuba and Brazil. 

Cigarette smoking is indulged in to a greater extent perhaps in 
Argentina than in any other country on the American continent. 
Probably this is due to the fact that imported cigars are very expensive 
and only the most common grade is made in the country. For some 
years the cultivation of the tobacco plant attracted only indifferent 
attention. The efforts of the Department of Agriculture have suc¬ 
ceeded in creating new interest in its cultivation. 
















24 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


The area under tobacco cultivation in three recent years is given 
in the following table: 


Province or Territory. 

1910 

1912 

1913 

Corrientes.. 

14,079 
2,420 
1,976 
148 
3,725 
1,146 
745 

14,820 
2,470 
1,462 

28,775 

1,976 

731 

Tueuman. 

Misiones. 

Cordoba.*. 

Salta. 

3,725 

1,160 

489 

3,725 

1.111 

'419 

Catamarca. 

Others... 

Total. 

24,239 

24,126 

36,737 



The output of the tobacco factories in 1914 represented 382,286,496 
packages of cigarettes, 288,345,522 cigars, and 10,006,482 pounds of 
tobacco in packages, the total value of which was about $37,967,382. 
The value of the 1913 product exceeded this figure by nearly 
$3,137,211. 

WINE. 

A bounteous nature has bestowed unexcelled conditions of climate 
and soil, favorable to the cultivation of grapes, in 12 of the Provinces 
and Territories of the Republic. 

The total area of land devoted to the cultivation of vines is more 
than 262,365 acres. Few varieties are represented, French stock 
predominating. As the home production increases imports decrease 
in like proportion, especially with reference to the commoner grades 
of wine. The vineyards are for the most part the property of or are 
leased by Italians. Many of the wine makers come from Italy and 
their establishments are models of their kind, equipped with the 
very latest machinery and chemical appliances. 

Statistics of wine production and imports for recent years are 
given below: 


Years. 

Production. 

Imports. 

Years. 

Production. 

Imports. 

J908. 

Gallons. 

62,551,268 

51,436,655 

74,705,175 

83,191,209 

Gallons. 

12,329,065 
11,817, 744 
11,585,201 
9,774,522 

1912. .. 

Gallons. 

92,633,662 
102,817,290 

Gallons. 

10,061,212 

8,845,619 

6,081,533 

1909. 

1913.. 

1910. 

1914:. 

1911. 




Ever since the outbreak of the European war Argentine banks have 
been extremely cautious in making loans. Even when good security 
was offered it often took months to arrange loans of small importance. 
This restricted commercial transactions in the vine-growing and 
wine-making districts, and many vine growers found it almost im¬ 
possible to arrange for loans to tide them over the 1915-16 harvest. 
The money was needed to purchase supplies and pay for the labor 
necessary to handle the crop. An abundance of grapes everywhere 
gave early warning of low prices, which was one reason why bankers 
were timid about effecting new loans. Another, and perhaps the 
most important reason, was that bankers had already loaned large 
sums to the growers to enable them to bring a greater area under 





































MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


25 


cultivation, and in their opinion the condition of the industry, which 
had grown up so rapidly as to threaten overproduction, could not 
stand up under the strain much longer. 

The Government early in 1916 lent its assistance, and an agreement 
was reached, through the assistance of a growers’ protective associa¬ 
tion and a wine makers’ association, which probably saved the 
industry many thousands of dollars and small growers and wine 
makers from utter ruin. It was known that overproduction would 
be the greatest difficulty with which growers would have to contend, 
yet few realized that the time of peril had already arrived and that 
instead of continuing to plant large areas to vines other crops would 
have to be planted to relieve the situation. 

FOUNDRIES AND MACHINE SHOPS. 

The industrial census for 1910 places the number of foundries and 
machine shops at 3,539. A great majority of these are neither more 
nor less than blacksmith shops and would receive that classification 
in the United States. Of this total only about a dozen are of real 
importance, and their situation and the demand which exists for their 
products will, with careful management, enable them to continue to 
increase their output. 

Agricultural implements are manufactured at only two places in 
the Republic, viz, Tres Arroyos and Esperanza. Estilart & Cia have 
an establishment at Tres Arroyos where they turn out a special type 
of self-feeder for thrashing machines and other appliances, which 
will be dealt with in another part of this report. The Schneider fac¬ 
tory at Esperanza is now equipped to make repairs for many Ameri¬ 
can agricultural implements, and also manufactures a very close 
imitation of an American gang plow that is in great demand in 
Argentina. 


II. AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS. 


The principal wealth of Argentina, aside from its great wealth in 
live stock, consists in immense crops of wheat, corn, linseed, and 
alfalfa, which, not being required for home consumption, are largely 
sent to Europe, and have placed the country in the front ranks of 
exporting countries. Only since 1852 has there been what might 
be termed an attempt to cultivate the soil, made rich through the 
decaying vegetable growth that covered it for centuries and favored 
by an ideal climate. The settlement of the country proceeded along 
much the same lines as were followed in the development of our 
Western States, but differed in at least one essential. 

In the United States every effort was made by the Government 
to induce settlers to take up land. The new settlers, generally drawn 
from the peasant class of northern and central Europe, had no hope 
at the time beyond obtaining a home for themselves and their fam¬ 
ilies, where hard work would enable them to acquire a certain degree 
of economic independence. This method of giving the land to bona 
fide settlers has had far-reaching consequences. All over the United 
States is a population of farmers who own their land and who 
have reached a state of economic independence unequalled in any 
like area on earth. The children of the early settlers grew up amid 
natural surroundings, were intelligent and well educated, and have 
contributed much to make our national life what it is. 

In Argentina, however, no such system of dividing the land and 
giving it to settlers was ever originated. The land, before it began 
to be settled, was given in great tracts to political favorites or suc¬ 
cessful warriors, and, as old Spanish ideas prevailed, the rest of the 
people were content to live and work for the landowners. The 
country is and has always been a country of great estates, many of 
them containing 60,000 acres or more. The average holding is about 
3,800 to 4,000 acres. 

SUBDIVISION OF LARGE ESTATES. 

Of late years the cutting up of large estates has steadily increased, 
due largely to the law of inheritance which provides for automatic 
division of estates between all the heirs. Argentine landowners 
regard their properties from a business standpoint the same as land- 
owners in the United States and buy or sell at will. Therefore it 
often happens that a large estate will pass into the hands of a syndi¬ 
cate and, after being subdivided, will be sold in small tracts to col¬ 
onists. The following table indicates how this division has been 
steadily proceeding for a 10-year period, 1902 to 1912. 

26 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


27 


Size of holdings in acres. 

Province of 
Buenos Aires. 

Province of 
Cordoba. 

Province of 
Santa Fe. 

Territory of 
Pampa. 

1902 

1912 

1902 

1912 

1902 

1912 

1902 

1912 

25 to 72. 

73 to 125. 

126 to 250. 

251 to 500. 

501 to 750. 

751 to 1,625. 

1,626 to 3,125. 

3,126 to 6,250. 

6,251 to 12,500. 

12,501 to 25,000. 

25,001 and upward. 

Total. 

8,366 
8,856 
5,703 
4,593 
1,794 
2,949 
2,161 
2,079 
1,581 
964 
486 

14,001 
14,191 
9,248 
7,466 
3,850 
4,940 
3,256 
2,530 
1,649 
682 
306 

3,930 
2,718 
2,919 
3,410 
1,814 
2,328 
1,108 
721 
489 
314 
215 

5,671 
5,045 
5,280 
5,732 
2,658 
3,872 
1,685 
992 
619 
268 
147 

4,200 

3,154 

3,358 

4,583 

1,641 

1,395 

589 

442 

422 

292 

180 

6,876 
6,830 
7,276 
7,875 
3,020 
2,545 
1,263 
768 
566 
208 
136 

114 

129 

64 

54 

68 

99 

489 

741 

1,114 

624 

583 

423 

2,174 

401 

287 

330 

512 

1,412 

445 

431 

172 

39,532 

62,119 

19,966 

31,969 

20,256 

37,363 

3,496 

7,170 


A separate classification of holdings in the Province of Mendoza 
is necessary, as it is the seat of the wine industry, where holdings 
are small in comparison with other parts of the Republic: 


Size of holdings in acres. 

1902 

1912 

Size of holdings in acres. 

1902 

1912 

2 to 10 . .'_ 

2,964 

5,093 

2,224 

2,198 

938 

751 to 1,625... 

221 

309 

11 to 20 . 

849 

1,626 to 3,125. 

160 

158 

21 t.n 65 

831 

3,126 to 6,250. 

128 

162 

66 to 125 . 

468 

6,251 to 12,500. 

121 

115 

126 to 250 . 

333 

632 

12,501 to 25,000. 

69 

50 

251 to 500 

266 

453 

25,001 and upward. 

167 

137 

501 to 750. 

112 

178 



A large percentage of the descendants of the former Gauchos, espe¬ 
cially those who have remained away from the cities, are occupied 
in handling live stock. On the other hand, the immigrants from 
Italy and Spain take naturally to agriculture. Those who remain 
in tne country first work as laborers. After a few years they lease 
some land to work for their own account, paying from one-third 
to one-half the crop as rent, depending on what assistance they 
require from the landowner toward getting started. 

The old system created but two classes in the country outside the 
cities—landowners and peons. The present tendency to divide large 
holdings is slowly and surely creating another class, a middle class, 
which will have iar-reaching influences in shaping the destinies of the 
Republic. 

According to the agricultural census of 1908 the number of hold¬ 
ings of a purely agricultural nature is 180,495, and of these the num¬ 
ber worked by owners and their families represented about 60 per 
cent; 30 per cent were worked by tenants and approximately 10 per 
cent by joint ownership. In the cereal region, comprising the Prov¬ 
inces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Cordoba, and Entre Rios, and the 
Pampa Territory, the holdings may be classified as follows: Crop 
season of 1906-7, owners 18,476, tenants 31,029, joint ownerships 
7,551; 1910-11, owners 21,546, tenants 36,458, joint ownerships 
7,107; 1912-13, owners 27,428, tenants 46,325, joint ownerships 
10,323. 
























































28 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

DAMAGE BY FROST, DROUGHT, AND LOCUSTS. 

Probably there is no like area of land on earth where agricultural 
prosperity is so general as in Argentina. There are three risks, how¬ 
ever, which may destroy the profits over a large part of the country. 
One is frost. In the northern portion of the country, where soil and 
climatic conditions favor the growing of subtropical crops, severe 
frosts often work havoc, without warning, particularly in the cane 
fields. This danger is also present in the southern and southwestern 
parts of the country. Drought is a second danger. In most parts 
of the country the average yearly rainfall is just sufficient for the 
needs of the agricultural and pastoral lands: a deficient rainfall causes 
heavy losses through scanty crops and death of cattle. 

The third and perhaps greatest danger is from locusts, which often 
sweep over the country in great swarms. Locusts have three periods 
or stages of life, the mosquito, the hopping, and flying stages. Dur¬ 
ing the mosquito stage, if it were not for the great expanse of territory 
which they cover, they might easily be destroyed. During the hop¬ 
ping stage it is more difficult to destroy them in large numbers; and 
during the flying stage is when they do great damage to growing 
crops. When traveling through the rural districts in the summer time 
it is a very common occurence to pass fields of a thousand or more 
acres of corn where the locusts have been feeding and have left noth¬ 
ing but the bare stalks. They also do great damage to other cereals 
and alfalfa, and no effective means has been found by which to com¬ 
bat them. Sometimes the locusts will not come for five or six years; 
again they may come each successive year for a period of three or 
four years. They often come in such numbers that trains have to be 
stopped for a time until they are clear of the rails. 

AREA UNDER CULTIVATION. 

From a moaest beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century 
agriculture has grown and developed by leaps and bounds. Periods 
of wild speculation in land often brought on periods of depression, 
but these were generally of short duration, and did not affect the 
credit of the country. In all parts of the Provinces of Buenos Aires, 
Santa Fe, Entre Rios, Cordoba, and the Pampa Central there are 
thousands of acres of gently rolling land yielding enormous crops of 
wheat, corn, oats, linseed, and alfalfa. 

The crops are planted, cultivated, and harvested in much the same 
manner as similar crops are handled in the United States. Fully 90 
per cent of the machinery sold and in use is American made. One 
would hardly care to hazard a guess regarding the future possibilities 
of the country, considering that only one-quarter of the land which 
is known to be capable of cultivation is now in crops. The following 
table, based on the crop acreage of 1913-14, gives a good idea of the 
area under cultivation compared with the total area. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


29 


Divisions. 

Total area. 

Area cul¬ 
tivated. 

Divisions. 

Total area. 

Area cul¬ 
tivated. 

PROVINCES. 

Buenos Aires. 

Santa Fe... 

A cres. 
75,364,887 
32,451,354 
42,817,203 

18.711.238 
21,458,113 
18,581,093 
35,440,548 

6,669,000 
36,155,366 
24,229,712 
24,213,410 

23.548.239 
30,908,098 

9,908,709 

Acres. 
23,053,932 
10,554,532 
12,761,872 

2,915,094 
737,150 
1,398,884 
520,552 
465,026 
675,298 
371,364 
223,732 
185,143 
336,525 
164,403 

TERRITORIES. 

Misiones. 

Formosa 

Acres. 
1,401,634 
26,492, 726 
33, 748,845 
36,039,029 
25,935,000 
51,067,250 
11,375,833 
69,839,250 
5,310,253 
22,230,000 

Acres. 

75,878 
53,969 
50,968 
4,556,581 
103,873 
221,188 
52,289 
8,768 
741 
17,759 

Cordoba. 

Chaco 

Entre Rios. 

Corrientes. 

San Luis. 

Santiago del Fstero. 

Tucuman. 

Mendoza. 

San Juan. 

La Rioja. 

Pampa Central. 

Neuquen. 

Rio Negro. 

Chubut. 

Santa Cruz. 

Tierra del Fvcgo. 

Los Andes. 

Total. 

Catamarca. 

Salta. 

Jujuy. 

663,459, 790 

59,505,421 


With a total area of more than 663,000,000 acres of land it is known 
that some 235,000,000 acres are capable of cultivation without resort¬ 
ing to dry-farming methods. There are, then, something like 
175,000,000 acres of good land, varying from a deep vegetable mold 
to a mixed sandy loam, still to be brought under cultivation, and 
perhaps an equal quantity might be made productive by dry-farming 
methods or with suitable irrigation works. 

The acreage planted in various specified crops in the 1913-14 and 
1914-15 seasons is given in the following table: 


Crops. 

1913-14 

1914-15 

Crops. 

1913-14 

1914-15 

Wheat.. 

Acres. 

16,235,000 

4,394,000 

10,255,000 

2,875,000 

418,294 

Acres. 

15,465,000 
4,256,000 ! 
10,381,000 
2,821,000 ! 
396,435 1 
227,981 
16,524,000 
36,72S 
263,549 

Cotton. 

Acres. 
6,916 
13,027 
251,866 
34,654 
277,455 
64,837 
115,719 
5,475,990 

Acres. 

5,480 

Linseed... 

Rice. 

Corn. 

Vines. 

262,363 
62, 972 
293,361 
64,837 
141,778 
5,513,815 

Oats. 

Peanuts. 

Barley. 

Potatoes... 

Rye. 

Beans. 

Alfalfa. 

Tobacco. 

Sugar cane. 

16,524,000 
23,850 
232,735 

Vegetables. 

Other crops. 


In 1912 there were 147,000 acres planted to fruit trees, numbering 
about 14,400,000 trees and comprising nearly 8,000,000 peach, 
2,200,000 orange, and 1,200,000 apple trees, the balance pear, apri¬ 
cot, and olive trees. 

In 1913 the average yield of the principal crops per acre was as 
follows: Wheat, 28 bushels; linseed, 24.8 bushels; corn, 25.8 bushels; 
oats, 17 bushels. 

The area under cultivation of vegetables is not large, yet it in¬ 
cludes land devoted to truck farming and also the area sown or 
planted to vegetables by farmers. Residents in suburban towns and 
interior cities and towns do not plant and cultivate gardens. Mar¬ 
ket gardening operations are carried on near Buenos Aires, Rosario, 
Cordoba, and other large cities. Most of the cultivation and plant¬ 
ing is done by hand ana only a very limited number of gardeners use 
hand seed drills, wheel hoes, or other garden tools. Most of the 
market gardeners have very small tracts, many of them of only 1 or 
2 acres, and the members of the family plant and cultivate by hand. 







































































30 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


SOIL AND RAINFALL. 

CENTRAL PROVINCES. 

Buenos Aires .—The soil of the Province of Buenos Aires, especially 
along the river and for a long distance inland, is a light, black vege¬ 
table mold, becoming more sandy as one proceeds inland. In the 
southern part of the Province the soil in many places is very shallow, 
being underlaid by “tosca,” or indurated mud, which often crops 
out on the surface. “Tosca” is a very hard substance and most of 
the land where it is found, unless the soil is deep, is used only for 
grazing purposes. Vegetable life does well when there is plenty of 
rain but dies out very soon in a dry year. 

The sandy loam in the western parts of the Province is very fertile 
and deep and water is usually found at a depth of 10 to 15 feet. 
Rains are frequent in winter and irregular in summer. The average 
yearly rainfall, based on reports from 12 stations, 1902 to 1911, was 
27.22 inches; in 1912, from 37 stations, 29.84 inches; in 1913, from 
30 stations, 33.73 inches; in 1914, from 37 stations, 50.23 inches; 
first six months of 1915, from 36 stations, 21.45 inches. 

In much of the southern region of the Province the land is plowed 
immediately after harvest and cross plowed a second time some two 
or three months later to kill any weeds that may have grown. For 
the first plowing moldboard plows are generally used; for the second 
plowing disk plows give much better results, as the soil has a ten¬ 
dency to allow a moldboard plow to shove it forward without prop¬ 
erly turning it. At harvest time difficulty, is often experienced with 
binders, headers, and header binders, because the light loose soil does 
not offer a firm resistance to the tractive effort of the harvester bull 
wheel, or main driving wheel, and for this reason special attention 
should be given toward furnishing lugs or creepers on bull wheels 
which will effectively overcome troubles caused bv the wheel slipping: 
in loose soil. 

Pampa Central.—The soil of the Pampa Central, west of the Prov- 
.ince of Buenos Aires, is a very sandy loam, and water is found at a 
greater depth below the surface as one goes from east to west: In 
the extreme western portion of the territory very little in the way 
of settlement has been attempted, owing to the lack of rainfall and 
water, the latter being found only at a very great depth. The aver¬ 
age yearly rainfall, 1902 to 1911, based on reports from three sta¬ 
tions in the more thickly populated area, was 16.76 inches. The 
average for succeeding years from six stations was: 1912, 15.32 inches; 
1913, 7.76 inches; 1914, 16.95 inches; 1915, first six months, 11.58 
inches. At one time the vast undulating plains of the Pampa were 
thought to be fit only for grazing purposes. Within the last 10 
years, however, much land has been brought under cultivation. As 
the railways extend their lines the population will follow, opening 
large new districts to agriculture. 

Santa Fe .—The southern region of the Province is a vast fertile 
plain of rich black soil of considerable depth, which becomes more 
and more sandy toward the central and western parts of the Province, 
without losing its fertility. The northern region is heavily wooded’ 
crossed by many streams which discharge into the Parana, and the 
soil is a very fertile sandy loam. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


31 


The Province is one of the richest in agricultural products. Wheat, 
corn, linseed, and alfalfa are extensively cultivated and there are 
thousands of acres of fine pasture lands. The average annual rain¬ 
fall for the period 1902 to 1911, according to reports from three 
separate stations, was 31.77 inches; for 1912, 33.42 inches, 20 sta¬ 
tions reporting; for 1913, 34.22 inches, 15 stations reporting; fo^ 
1914, 28.64 inches, with reports from 20 stations; for the first six 
months of 1915, 22.97 inches. 

Cordoba. —Generally speaking, the surface of the Province of Cor¬ 
doba is flat with a gentle slope toward the east. In the north and 
west there are three mountain ranges, some of whose summits are 
more than 6,000 feet high. Between the ranges are numerous fertile 
valleys watered by many streams. The northeastern district is low 
and swampy and there are many lagoons in the southeastern part. 

The land in the south and east is good agricultural land, but the 
weak point of this district is lack of rainfall. The soil of the Province 
is a very sandy loam with stretches of black vegetable mold. The 
average annual rainfall for the period 1902 to 1911 was 26.24 inches. 
The rainfall for 1912 was 14.47 inches; for 1913, 21.37 inches; for 
1914, 28.21 inches; for the first six months of 1915, 13.96 inches; 
reports having been received in nearly every year from nine stations. 

Entre Rios. —-As its name would indicate, the Province is situated 
“between rivers,” the most important of which are the Parana, 
Uruguay, and Gualeguay, all navigable. The surface of the Prov¬ 
ince is undulating and is crossed by many streams. The soil is a 
deep vegetable mold, which produces fine crops. After a heavy dew 
or after a rain the soil is quite sticky and somewhat difficult to plow, 
as the plow bottom will not scour readily; it is, however, when dry, 
firm enough to afford a good traction surface for heavy machinery. 
During the period 1902 to 1911 the average annual rainfall was 32.55 
inches, reports having been taken from three stations. Rainfall for 
1912, including reports from 11 stations, was 38.5 inches; for 1913, 
44.03 inches; for .1914, 57.07 inches; for the first six months of 1915, 
31.04 inches. 

Corrimtes. —The surface of the Province presents many variations. 
In the southern part it is similar to Entre Rios, an undulating, fertile, 
and well-watered plain. In the southwestern part there is a dense 
forest. In the north the land dips, forming numerous marshes and 
lagoons; here one finds a luxuriant tropical vegetation. In the rivers 
and lakes there are many islands, the home of wild animals and rep¬ 
tiles. Very little is known of a great part of this region, owing to the 
difficulties of navigation and the dense growth of foliage which makes 
travel through it almost impossible. For the period 1902 to 1911 the 
average annual rainfall was 47.07 inches; later figures are not avail¬ 
able. 

San Luis. —The northern portion of the Province is quite fertile, 
especially in the short and narrow valleys between the mountain 
ranges. The southern region is flat, arid, and almost sterile. The 
soil is nearly everywhere sandy. There is a vast region containing 
thousands oi acres of land, inhabited by only a few descendents of the 
early settlers who intermarried with the native Indians. The only 
vegetation is a scanty growth resembling scrub oak. The people 
lead monotonous, uneventful lives, caring for a few herds of goats. 


32 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


After one trip through the country in the heat of summer, when the 
speed of the train gathers a cloud of fine sand which penetrates every¬ 
where, one is certainly glad not to have to live amid such desolate 
surroundings. The average annual rainfall for the entire Province for 
the period 1902 to 1911 was 21.49 inches. There are districts where 
it never rains, and qthers where it may not rain for eight or nine 
months at a time. San Luis is one of the poorest Provinces agricul¬ 
turally, and seems destined to remain such for a very long time. 

Mendoza .—In the north and east the Province is fiat, the soil 
sandy, and the population scanty. It is a vast waterless tract of 
land with little vegetation. Toward the west, on account of the 
possibilities in the way of utilizing the melting snows of the Andes, 
formed into streams, conditions are wholly different. The soil every¬ 
where is very sandy and contains alkali in great quantities, making it 
necessary to exercise the greatest care in the cultivation of crops lest 
the tender plants he burned. The average rainfall for the period 
1902 to 1911 was 8.77 inches. Later figures have not been published. 

Santiago del Estero .—The surface of the Province forms a great 
plain with a slope to the southwest. Almost the whole of the western 
and southwestern regions is a barren and sandy desert. The only 
cultivated district worthy of the name is a strip of land between the 
Rivers Salado and Dulce, whose waters are used for irrigation pur¬ 
poses. Along the Chaco and Cordoba boundaries there are large 
forests which are being exploited. The heat is very oppressive in 
summer. No figures on rainfall are given; it is everywhere scanty 
and in some districts practically no rain falls. 

Tucuman .—The Province of Tucuman presents varied aspects. It 
has fertile plains and lofty mountains. The sun is nearly always shin¬ 
ing, yet snow can be seen on the mountains at almost any time of the 
year. There is much wild and luxuriant subtropical vegetation. The 
soil is a dark rich loam, almost black, presenting quite a contrast to the 
very sandy soil of Santiago del Estero to the south. Rains are fre¬ 
quent in the late summer and early autumn; the melting snows from 
tfie high mountain peaks, formed into streams, furnish water for irri¬ 
gation over a limited area. 

San Juan .—Half of the Province is mountainous, containing many 
very fertile and well-watered valleys. The other half is composed of 
desert, marshes, and sand hills, with a sandy arid soil. There is little 
rainfall in the mountains and practically none elsewhere. Very little 
progress has been made in agriculture. Where wheat is sown the 
land is flooded before planting and again a short time before harvest 
time. The heads contain few grains of much weight, and there is great 
danger of losing the crop by the hot winds which prevail during the 
harvest season. 

La Rioja .—Strictly speaking, there are only two regions in the Prov¬ 
ince of La Rioja; the eastern, a sandy barren tract of land with 
scanty rainfall; the western, a succession of well-watered and fertile 
valleys between mountain ranges which run parallel to the Andes. 
The scarcity of water precludes the possibility of doing much in the 
way of agriculture. 

Salta ,.—The eastern part of the Province has an almost level surface, 
especially in the southeastern part. To the north and west there are 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


33 


many mountains, among them high table-lands and fertile valleys. 
The climate is varied, ranging from tropical in the table-lands and 
valleys to temperate in the mountains. Many rivers furnish an abun¬ 
dance of water for irrigation purposes and there is generally plenty 
of rain in the spring and autumn, while winters and summers are 
mostly dry. The Province is rich in minerals, but exploitation is 
handicapped by inadequate transportation facilities. The soil in most 
parts is very rich and with further development the Province gives 
promise of becoming an important agricultural center. 

Jujuy .—In this Province there are numerous well-watered valleys 
between the mountain ranges, where the climate, though temperate, 
is very damp. In the northwestern part of the Province the land 
rises in a high table-land where it is cold and dry. The Province, 
though rich in timber and minerals, has not developed very rapidly 
and must await the building of railroads before it can take its proper 
place as a producer of wealth. 

NORTHERN TERRITORIES. 

Misiones .—The surface of the Territory of Misiones is a vast undu¬ 
lating plain, seamed by rivers and streams that run their course 
through fertile soil covered with a luxuriant vegetation. Light 
breezes, which generally prevail after 9 or 10 o’clock in the morning, 
temper a hot but comparatively healthy climate. Minerals are known 
to exist in part of the territory, but have not been exploited. Every 
sort of hardwood is found in abundance. To add to the natural 
beauty of the Province, there has been added, seemingly for good 
measure, the beautiful Iguazu Falls, which are beginning to attract 
the attention of travelers and are deserving of a visit if one can spare 
the time. A few years ago a journey to the falls was fraught with 
inconvenience and even danger. The trip can now be made from 
Buenos Aires in comfort in a few days. 

CJiaco .—Along the eastern boundary of the Territory the land is 
low and is often flooded for several miles inland by the River Parana. 
Beyond the river the land gradually rises, forming a slightly undu¬ 
lating plain, crossed by many rivers and streams, and in which 
are many lagoons and marshes. The territory is densely wooded, 
and its forests furnish quebracho for export. The climate is hot, but 
healthy, in summer, and the winters are very mild and pleasant. 
Rains are frequent in summer and heavy dews during a greater part 
of the rest of the year provide moisture. Once the timber and under¬ 
growth now covering the land have been removed, the Territory will 
no doubt make great progress as an agricultural country. The soil 
is rich, there is sufficient moisture, and most subtropical products 
will produce in abundance. 

Formosa .—The territory is a vast plain containing many marshes 
and lagoons. Owing to the absence of means of communication, the 
population is scanty and there is little or no commercial activity. 
Agriculture has only begun in a small way, although the soil is fertile 
and there is sufficient rainfall. The climate is hot and enervating in 
summer, but mild and rather pleasant in winter. 

59835°—16-3 


34 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


SOUTHERN TERRITORIES. 

Neuquen .—The northern part of Neuquen is very dry and sandy, 
with a scanty vegetation. In the west there are many fertile valleys 
with good pasturage and forests of valuable wood. Heavy snows in 
winter in the western region furnish an abundance of moisture. 

Rio Negro .—The land in the northern part of the Territory, adjoin¬ 
ing Neuquen, is very dry. To the south of this strip there is a wide 
area of very fertile soil. The land south of the Rio Negro and, in 
fact, the whole of the southwestern part of the Territory is almost 
barren^ offering no inducements to settlers. Aridity and the severe 
winters will also greatly retard the exploitation of this district. 

Cliubut .—In the Territory of Chubut there are a few fertile valleys 
in the central portion, where cattle and sheep may be pastured. 
The rest of the central portion presents a broken, often stony, surface, 
and its greatest drawback is lack of moisture. The most fertile part 
of the Territory is found in the valleys between mountain ranges in 
the western part. A majority of the farmers and stockmen are Welsh. 
Wool is the chief article of export. 

Santa Cruz .—In this Territory the strip of land along the east coast 
is valuable pasture land. In the northwest portion there is a large 
area of barren land. In the west near the mountains are extensive 
forests. Owing to the dry climate agriculture will never flourish, as 
the rainfall does not average 10 inches a year. 

Tierra del Fuego .—This Territory, part of an island, the remainder 
of which belongs to Chile, is for the most part covered with wild 
grasses which sustain thousands of sheep. There are also forests of 
valuable hardwood in the central region. There is a heavy rainfall 
in the autumn and, generally speaking, the climate is cold and damp, 
not favoring agriculture. 

IRRIGATION. 

Irrigation is necessary in many parts of the Republic, and one 
project after another has been developed, covering a period of many 
years. Except in some of the southern districts, where irrigation 
works are of recent construction, the area served is, generally speak¬ 
ing, altogether too limited. Parts of the Province of Tucuman, where 
the soil is very fertile, still lack sufficient moisture, which can only be 
provided by a more extensive irrigation program to make them pro¬ 
ductive. 

In the Provinces of Mendoza and San Juan much has been accom¬ 
plished, especially in the western district, where the melting snows of 
the Andes, formed into streams, have made a sandy desert produce in 
abundance. Outside the range of irrigation, north and south and for 
many miles eastward, except along the banks of a few feeble streams, 
there is nothing but a monotonous tract of sand with scant vegetation. 
In the southern Territories of Rio Negro and Neuquen much is being 
accomplished by the Great Southern Railway, in cooperation with the 
National Government and under its direction, to provide by means 
of irrigation works sufficient moisture to insure the growing of crops 
in a large district where the soil is very fertile but where rainfall is 
deficient. 

During the 1909 session of Congress a sum derived from various 
sources and totaling about $36,500,000 was made available for the 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


35 


construction and exploitation of irrigation works throughout the 
entire Republic. The construction of irrigation works must be car¬ 
ried out under the supervision of the General Irrigation Board, a 
bureau in the Ministry of Public Works. Within districts of influence 
of any of the railway companies construction work is carried on by 
these companies under supervision. The railway companies must 
deliver such works to the Government at completion and they are 
maintained by the Government until the original cost, through taxes, 
without interest, is returned to the railway companies. Every prop¬ 
erty susceptible of irrigation, in districts where works have been 
completed, must pay the irrigation tax. Properties not improved by 
cultivation in such districts within five years after the completion of 
the work pay a tax increased by 20 per cent. 

All along the western border of the Republic are vast areas of land 
which might be opened to cultivation by the establishment of irriga¬ 
tion works. However, the population of the country has not yet 
assumed proportions to make this step necessary. When these vast 
tracts of land are required to furnish sustenance for a larger popula¬ 
tion, or even before that time, there is no doubt that extensive irri¬ 
gation works will be in process of exploitation. 

FERTILIZERS. 

Perhaps nowhere in the world is agricultural prosperity so general 
as in Argentina. It is nothing short of marvelous that the soil should 
be so fertile as to produce the same crops year after year without 
apparent injury, and yet this is what is being done in nearly all 
agricultural districts and without the aid of any kind of fertilizer. 
The holdings are everywhere large; a mild climate does not make it 
necessary nor even desirable to house cattle, and even manures are 
lost to the fields onty used for cultivation. In some parts of the 
agricultural district, after the crops have been harvested, small areas 
are often sown to forage plants for the green feed which they furnish 
during the winter months. When these areas are again plowed for 
planting the following crops a certain amount of the forage crop is 
turned under by the plow and supplies humus to the soil. This is the 
only way in which fertilizer ever reaches the soil in Argentina, except 
in the vine-growing districts, where commercial fertilizers are used in 
a very small way. 

LARGE ESTATES. 

The statement that there are many large estates in Argentina 
would not be complete without a description of a typical large 
estate. Many of the grants of land which now form parts of 
large estates were, at the time when given, far removed from the 
then existing large cities. Oftentimes they could not even be 
reached by railroads, and long journeys across country were neces¬ 
sary to get to them. Now all that is changed. The rapid expan¬ 
sion of railway lines to every part of the immense agricultural dis¬ 
tricts and to the northern and western boundaries of the country 
has placed all the estates within easy reach of some of the larger 
cities, if not the Federal capital itself. One large estate, which is 
often visited by travelers from all parts of the world and which is 
similar in most respects to others, comprises about 60,000 acres of 
land, most of which is divided into 1,000-acre fields sown to alfalfa, 


36 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


Other fields are planted to corn, which is used for feeding fine im¬ 
ported stock for breeding purposes. A railway crosses the estate 
near one of its borders, where a small station has been built. From 
the station to the farmhouse—mansion would be a more appropriate 
term—there is a wide avenue between fields of alfalfa, lined on both 
sides with several rows of “paraiso” (paradise) trees, not very tall, 
but remarkably straight, whose featherlike foliage is never despoiled 
by the invading swarms of locusts. Running as straight as an arrow 
for a distance of more than 2 miles, the avenue terminates in a sort 
of park filled with all kinds of trees, plants, and flowers, in the midst 
of which is set the home of the owner. 

The house, a two-story brick building covered with stucco, is 
large and comfortable and is tastily furnished with the best of every¬ 
thing from many parts of the world. It is equipped with electric 
lights, running water, and modern baths. A long-distance telephone 
enables the owner to get daily market reports and news of interest. 
Separated from the house by trees and shrubs one finds brick barns, 
in which prize cattle are housed, brick sheds, and granaries. There 
is also a well-equipped machine shop and a garage for several auto¬ 
mobiles. Intersecting each other at right angles broad, well-graded 
avenues, like the one which runs from the station to the farmhouse, 
furnish places where the automobiles may be used. Some of the 
fields of alfalfa are used for pasturing the herds of cattle belonging 
to the estate; others are kept for hay, and the alfalfa is cut, cured, 
and stacked in the fields until it is wanted for feed or is baled to be 
sent to market. 

One of the most noticeable things about the estate is its fine 
fences, typical of what one sees everywhere in Argentina. Fences 
are mostly of smooth wire, seven to nine lines of wire being used, 
one or possibly two of which, the upper ones, are sometimes of 
barbed wire. The posts, generally of quebracho or algarroba, 
native hardwoods, are set about 25 feet apart. Holes are drilled in 
the posts and the wire is passed through them. Staples are never 
used to fasten the wire to the posts. About every 100 feet is a 
tourniquet, fastened by clamping it around the post, for each line 
of wire. The tourniquet has a cylinder, in the center of which is a 
hole to engage the wire. On one end of the cylinder there is a 
toothed or ratchet wheel which may be held in any desired position 
by a pawl. On the other end is a square head to which a wrench 
may be applied to give the wire the desired tension. In building a 
fence, after the posts are set, the wires are strung through the holes 
in the posts. Both ends of the wires are passed through the holes 
on the cylinders of the tourniquets, one at each end, ana the wire is 
stretched tight by winding it around the cylinders. In most parts 
of the country light steel bars or wooden strips are placed vertically 
between the fence posts at distances of 5 feet and firmly secured to 
the fence wire so as to keep animals from getting through the fence 
by spreading the wires apart. These wooden strips, called “varil- 
las,” serve the same purpose as vertical wires do in woven-wire 
fencing in the United States. 

The number of employees on an estate of this size varies accord¬ 
ingly as it is used, whether mostly for stock raising or mostly for 
agriculture. The employees are generally housed in comfortable, 
permanent quarters, not far from the main house. The owners of 


MARKETS IK ARGENTINA. 


37 


these big estates are proud of their places, as they have a right to 
be. Many of them have spent enormous sums of money in acquiring 
the best pedigreed stock the world produces. The annual stock 
show at the grounds of the Rural Society, in Palermo, a suburb of 
Buenos Aires, aside from its attraction as a society event, is a con¬ 
tinual incentive to individual owners to bring up the quality of their 
herds. Fabulous prices are paid for prize winners, which, if stated 
in terms of dollars and cents, might earn an undesirable sobriquet 
for any one who dared mention them to people who are not in close 
touch with actual conditions in the country and who do not know 
how much pride stockmen take in their herds. 

SMALL FARMS. 

The big estates have been made attractive through the expendi¬ 
ture of a lot of money. In comparison, the small farms are equally 
unattractive. In the Province of Buenos Aires and in the southern 
part of the Province of Santa Fe, and to a certain extent in parts of 
Cordoba, there are many attractive small places, mostly fashioned 
after the big ones, where the people are at least comfortable. There 
are thousands of places, however, ranging in size from 600 to 2,000 
or 2,500 acres, where there is hardly a single attraction worthy of 
the name. Reference is made to great tracts of land in the grain 
belt which are mostly worked on shares by tenant farmers. 

“Shack” is the only term which will fittingly describe the dwelling 
house of the farmer and his family. This is sometimes of mud and 
straw, but more often of corrugated iron nailed to a framework of 
wood, with low ceilings, no floor save the bare ground, and only 
little doorlike windows, if there are any at all, which do not have 
any glass and which when closed exclude both light and air. Crude 
as the building is, its furnishings are even more so. A long rough 
table or two, with several wooden benches of equal length, serve for 
dining tables and chairs. Sometimes there is a bed or two, more 
often only one, with a number of individual canvas cots. Cooking 
for the most part is done in the open air, alongside the house, on 
charcoal braziers. Few people find time to plant trees or flowers. 
In the summer time the sun beats down on the low roofs of the 
houses, adding to the discomfort of the inhabitants, while innumer¬ 
able insects of every description dispute the right of domicile with 
the occupants. On one of these farms there is nearly always a well, 
with a windmill, near the house, a shed for chickens, and sometimes 
a shed for small tools. There are no barns or granaries. Imple¬ 
ments stand out of doors the year round. The animals run loose in 
the pasture in the daytime, when they are not required for work on 
the farm, and are kept in large corrals at night or allowed to graze 
at will. 

Nothing could be more monotonous than the life the small farmers 
lead, yet many of them are gradually acquiring economic independ¬ 
ence, and the day is not far distant when, conditions having im¬ 
proved 5ver the vast expanse of territory which they now inhabit, 
they will be a power in the land. The small farms, as a rule, are 
devoted to agriculture. Only a few cows are kept for their milk, 
from which cheese is made, and a f 'W sheep and chickens are raised 
and form the principal articles of food. 


38 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

METHODS OF CULTIVATION. 

Only in recent years has any great part of the vast agricultural 
area been cultivated in a careful manner. In the early days tillers of 
the soil were possessed with one idea, that of getting everything they 
could out of the soil without putting anything back, or even care¬ 
fully cultivating it to preserve in some measure its original fertility. 
If after four or five seasons a tract of land failed to yield what the 
farmer thought it ought to produce, he simply abandoned it and 
looked for another plot, there to pursue the same methods. There 
was plenty of land, with few to work it, and it was of little conse¬ 
quence how it was worked. 

The gradual settling up of the country, the rapid rise in land 
values, and the increase in rentals has been slowly but surely changing 
all this. In the grain-growing districts the land is now carefully 
plowed and harrowed, generally speaking, and the crops are put in 
and cultivated in much the same manner as in the United States. 
Rotation of crops is practiced to some extent and within a few years 
will have to assume greater proportions. 

One of the greatest drawbacks is that too little attention has been 
given to the eradication of weeds. A very temperate climate favors 
the growth of all kinds of weeds found in Illinois, Iowa, and most of 
the Central States. Canadian thistle and wild mustard are found 
everywhere, and very little systematic effort has been made to 
exterminate them. It is a well-known fact that Canadian thistle 
can not be destroyed unless the roots are dug up and exposed to the 
hot sun. In Argentina machines like huge land rollers provided with 
knives are run over the thistles, but as they only cut the plant above 
the surface and do not disturb the roots they are not very effective. 

Deep plowing is not practiced in any part of the grain-growing dis¬ 
tricts, and the average depth to which the land is plowed is between 
4 and 5 inches. Naturally, in the extreme north in the subtropical 
districts deeper plowing is practiced. In that zone many of the 
farms were once covered with timber, and as there are great numbers 
of stumps and roots in the fields, only light walking plows and heavy 
disk plows are used. Hand cultivation is not practiced anywhere, 
save in vineyards and truck gardens and in the cane fields of the 
north. 

FUTURE EXPANSION OF AGRICULTURE. 

The vast territory of the Argentine furnishes neither coal nor 
water power for industrial purposes except in a few isolated localities. 
The early settlers turned to agriculture and stock raising and their 
descendants have followed in the same path. Immigrants coming 
from Europe, owing to the demand for agricultural laborers, have 
never sought to gain a livelihood except as farm laborers or small 
farmers. Many young men from the rural districts, having received 
the benefits of a good education, as in this country, are leaving the 
farms to engage in commercial work or in the professions in the 
cities, but their places are more than filled by those who remain 
and by new immigration. 

The great fertile country is going to continue to draw settlers 
from Europe, and even though its progress is retarded for a time, 
it is destined to become the world’s greatest Spanish-speaking 
country. It is doubtful if anything wih take place which will 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


39 


greatly change its character. It is an agricultural and pastoral 
country; its people of European origin naturally turn to agriculture; 
and slavery, never having been permitted to gain a foothold, has 
not fdled the countrv with a negro population as is the case in Brazil, 
and therefore there is no racial problem to solve. 

PRINCIPAL CROPS RAISED. 

Corn, wheat, linseed, alfalfa, and oats are the principal crops 
raised. Land destined to corn is plowed during the late fall and 
winter, May and June, and planting commences in August and is 
continued through September and in some districts into October. 
Corn is drilled in with three-row drills in rows 27 to 30 inches apart. 
After the corn is up it is cultivated twice and then laid by. Harvest¬ 
ing begins in March and continues for several months. 

Corn is husked and sacked in the fields and then hauled to a point 
near the farmhouse, where it is put in well-ventilated 1 1 trojas 7 ’ to dry 
out and await the coming of the sheller. There are no permanent 
corn cribs, as in the United States. A “troja' 7 is made by placing 
a number of poles in the ground in the form of a circle about 15 to 20 
feet in diameter. Around the posts wire is strung and into the wire 
cornstalks are woven to keep the ears of corn from pushing out 
through the wire. The ‘ ‘ troj as 7 ’ are generally not more than 20 or 25 
feet high. On one side of this improvised crib a pole some 8 or 10 feet 
higher than the crib is set. To the top of this pole a heavy wire is 
secured, which crosses the crib and is fastened to another much shorter 
pole some 50 feet away. The wire forms a track over which a large 
dump bucket may be operated. When loads of husked corn come 
in from the fields the corn is placed in the bucket, which is run up 
the wire by a single horse, much like a hayfork is operated. When 
the bucket wfith its load of corn arrives over the center of the crib, a trip 
releases the bucket and the corn is deposited in the crib. Oftentimes 
the cribs, when full, are covered with a corrugated iron roof to keep 
out rains and heavy dews. These cribs are certainly inexpensive 
and serve the purpose, as they are well ventilated. The farmer 
dose not keep his corn, but has it shelled, and sacked in 220-pound 
sacks and takes it to town for immediate sale. 

Wheat in most parts of the country is drilled in with drills having 
6 or 7 inch spacing. Broadcast sowers are also much used. Plant¬ 
ing begins in some northern districts as early as April and continues 
through the winter months, from north to south, until August. 
Harvesting begins late in November in the north and continues 
through December and January in the south. In parts of the 
country where grain does not ripen too rapidly and where there is 
not much danger of its shelling out by reason of high winds, small 
grain is cut with 12-foot headers and elevated into a rack placed 
on a wagon driven alongside the header. Grain cut in this manner 
is immediately stacked. Eight-foot grain binders are used in the 
Province of Entre Bios and in parts of the Province of Buenos Aires. 
Twelve-foot header binders are used in nearly every part of the 
country except Entre Bios. Grain cut with 8-foot binders is usually 
shocked before being stacked. Some farmers thrash from the 
shock, as in the United States. 

The stacks of grain in Argentina are very different from those in 
most parts of the United States; they are long and rectangular at the 


40 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

base, with the upper parts finished off in the shape of a gable roof. 
Thrashing begins in December and continues for several months. 
All grain is sacked at the thrashing machine in sacks holding about 
220 pounds. It is then taken to the sheds‘at the nearest railway 
station or piled in the open and covered with great tarpaulins as 
soon as possible after thrashing. There are no granaries on the farms 
and only enough wheat is kept for seed the following year. Other 
small grains are sown, cultivated, and harvested in much the same 
manner. 

Alfalfa is sown in March after the early fall rains, or in the spring; 
it is generally conceded that the early fall planting produces the 
best results. Alfalfa, when cut for hay, is stacked in the open; hay 
barns do not exist. When used as cattle feed, it is fed from the 
stack; for market, it is baled in 220-pound bales for home consump¬ 
tion, and in 14 by 18 or 16 by 18 inch bales if for export. 

There are no elevators at the railway stations throughout the 
country. Storage is provided only for grain in sacks. All grain is 
transported in sacks to the terminal elevators in Buenos Aires 
or to steamers in other ports. Grain elevators are much needed 
throughout the country, and their establishment has been sanctioned 
by act of Congress. 

POSSIBLE NEW CROPS. 

Thousands of acres of land within the Republic are specially 
adapted for rice and cotton growing, the latter in particular. It 
has been estimated that there is an area of land adapted to cotton 
growing greater than that of the cotton districts of our Southern 
States. Production, however, has been spasmodic. The land best 
suited to cotton growing is in the extreme northern part of the 
country, where there is only a scanty population and poor means of 
communication. 

The development of rice culture is being carried on by a Japanese, 
under direction of the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1914 the total area 
devoted to rice culture was in the neighborhood of 3,800 acres. 
The product finds a ready sale in the country and great quantities 
are imported. 

STOCK RAISING. 

When the early settlers arrived in the country they found an 
immense prairie covered with luxuriant native grasses which had 
never been pastured to horses or cattle, as the few native Indians had 
none of these animals. Cattle and horses and sheep were brought 
from Europe. Many of the former escaped to the boundless open 
plains and laid the foundation for the extensive herds of cattle and 
horses now found in all parts of the country. For many years cattle 
were herded on the plains as in our own Western States. Little or 
no attention was given to improving the stock. As the country 
became more settled, land was taken up in large tracts by individual 
owners and fenced. Cattle no longer grazed over the open plains, 
and gradually, through the importation of pedigreed stock, the 
quality of the native stock of Spanish origin was improved. 

Stock raising has gone ahead by leaps and bounds, and it is esti¬ 
mated that there are now more than 30,000,000 head of cattle, 
80,000,000 head of sheep, and 8,000,000 head of horses in the Repub- 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


41 


lie. The figures were given out by the Government, but no official 
census has been published since 1908. The total value of live stock 
in 1915 is estimated at $780,000,000. Cattle and sheep ranches, as a 
rule, are very large. As the country becomes more and more settled 
the older ranches are converted into cultivated farms, and stock 
ranches go farther and farther out toward the south and west and 
northwest. The development of the industry has proceeded apace, 
but its limits have not been reached by any means. The large ranches 
are well fenced and are divided into fields by cross fences. In each 
field there is generally one or more windmills to supply water, which 
is pumped into huge corrugated iron tanks, set low and surrounded 
by a strong bank of earth for support. 

Sheep are raised in nearly all parts of the Republic, and mutton is 
highly prized-as an article of food. Practically all of the wool is 
exported, t rance being the heaviest purchaser. Shearing begins in 
October, and the average clip per sheep is about 5.34 pounds. 
Seventy-five per cent of the wool is of white-faced, long-wool sheep, 
20 per cent merino, and 5 per cent of black-faced and native sheep, 

Exports of wool in recent years were as follows: 


Exported to— 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

France.. 

Tons. 
51,501 
31,693 
19,807 
13,205 
7,923 
2,335 
5,572 

Tons. 
51,138 
47,839 
24,744 
14,846 
16,496 
3,299 
6,602 

Tons. 
31,342 
41,362 
21,780 
10,580 
9,314 
2,360 
3,342 

Tons. 

23,794 
30.386 
26,849 
17,100 
8,788 
6,835 
3,473 

(Tfirmanv . .... 

United Kingdom. 

Belgium. 

United States... 

Italy ... . * . 

Other countries. 

Total. 

132,056 

164,964 

120,080 

117,270 



The shipments were valued at $50,494,027 in 1911; $58,148,664 in 
1912; $45,270,016 in 1913; and $46,967,658 in 1914. The shipments 
in 1915 are estimated at $55,579,000. 

Wool is exported in large bales bound with iron straps. The straps 
were largely imported from England prior to the war, but now several 
houses in Buenos Aires are making arrangements to buy their stocks 
in the United States. 




















III. DETAILS OF THE MARKET. 


Simultaneously with the development of the agricultural resources 
of the country on a large scale came the demand for modern labor- 
saving farm implements and machinery. From a very small begin¬ 
ning more than 35 years ago, many of the houses which started 
importing implements have grown into great institutions, known in 
all parts of the country and having agents and representatives 
wherever the soil is tilled. 

Agricultural conditions and the nature of the crops grown have at 
all times favored the use of American implements and machinery. 
The importing houses, with the assistance of factory representatives 
and, in many cases, a considerable number of technical experts from 
the various experimental departments, have carefully developed the 
many different lines, adapting them to suit local requirements in all 
sections of the country. To accomplish this has required an immense 
amount of work and the expenditure of thousands of dollars. 

The average annual value of implements and farm machinery, 
including kindred lines and spare parts, imported into Argentina from 
the United States is in the neighborhood of SI 1,000,000 annually and 
represents between 20 and 25 per cent of our total exports to Argen¬ 
tina and 5 per cent of Argentina’s total imports. During the past 
three years there has been a heavy decline in some lines through 
various causes. During the days of the first Balkan war European 
capital was withdrawn from the markets of the world, and great sums 
which had been available for investment in Argentina could no longer 
be had. 

In 1912 there were crop failures in many large districts, succeeded 
by only a fair crop in 1913. Heavy rains early in 1914 delayed the 
handling of the corn crop, the marketing of which at the proper time 
would have had a tendency to make general trading easier. There 
had been almost unwarranted speculation in land and city property, 
and real estate values went down more rapidly than they had risen. 
With the commencement of the present war in Europe, new capital 
not being forthcoming, general trading came to a standstill, hundreds 
of failures were reported everywhere, and the situation was indeed 
serious. The Government adopted measures which have been 
gradually strengthening the situation and point to a quick return to 
normal conditions. 

In some districts, when the crops failed the tenant farmers aban¬ 
doned everything. This, of course, had an immediate effect on the 
houses importing implements and machinery. Farmers in other 
districts did not buy new implements with anything like their accus¬ 
tomed readiness to do so, hence importations declined. Stocks are 
now low in nearly all lines and, given present conditions, if it were 
not for the very high ocean freight rates, it is certain that a large 
increase over the importations for the past three years would be 
recorded. It is the consensus of opinion that importing houses will 
order sparingly until the freight situation changes. 

42 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


43 


COUNTRIES SUPPLYING IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

Large numbers of English thrashers and cylinder corn shellers 
have always found and still find acceptance in Argentina. In the 
former line American manufacturers are getting an increasing por¬ 
tion every year. In the cylinder sheller line, however, very little 
progress has been made by American manufacturers. It is a line 
which presents great possibilities, as there is a very large area under 
corn, nearly all of which is exported and therefore must be shelled. 

There is competition from Canada in plows and harvesting machin¬ 
ery and from Australia in harvester thrashers; otherwise the great 
bulk of the business goes to American manufacturers. Contrary to 
the opinion so often expressed, this volume of business did not come 
to American manufacturers without serious effort on their part; just 
the reverse is the case. 

The firms that now supply any considerable portion of the great 
amount of machinery sold to importers in Argentina have spent 
large sums of money m developing the business, in changing the con¬ 
struction of their goods, and m employing salesmen and experts to 
assist jobbers in selling and demonstrating their individual lines. 
The salesmen and experts have worked hard, oftentimes night and day 
and Sundays, under living conditions not now paralleled in any part 
of the United States. With the gradual settling up of the country 
more and better hotels are being established and conditions are 
rapidly improving. There is, however, even now much room for 
improvement in the smaller towns and cities of the interior. 

PACKING AND MARKING. 

Implements and farm machines in general must always be packed 
separately, one complete machine to a case, or several of them, 
depending largely on the implement or machine. The idea is to 
pack the machine so it will occupy the smallest possible space, yet in 
a way which will enable one or more machines to be separated from a 
shipment without great difficulty. Cases and crates must be strong 
and well made, and should be bound with flat iron straps. Top and 
bottom boards on cases containing knocked-down implements should 
run crosswise of the case, never lengthwise. Lumber used in cases 
should be as dry as it is possible to obtain. Cases are usually stored 
deep in the hold of the ship for transportation, where the heat from 
the furnaces quickly dries out the lumber, and if wet or green lumber 
has been used, it draws out the nails to such an extent that they will 
not hold, which often results in considerable expense to put the cases 
in shape for further transportation inland. 

On several occasions shipments of implements have arrived in 
Buenos Aires in such a condition that the separate parts had to be 
shoveled out of the hold of the ship. The reason for this was that 
green lumber had been used in the cases, and the heat from the 
boilers having dried out the lumber caused the nails to loosen; con¬ 
sequently, when it was necessary to hoist the boxes out of the hold 
of the ship they gave way, scattering the parts in all directions. On 
other occasions the same thing has happened when the top and bot¬ 
tom boards of the cases were nailed on lengthwise. The weight of 
the material against the long boards was too great and they gave 
way. 


44 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


MARKINGS ON CASES. 

In nearly every instance manufacturers are given specific instruc¬ 
tions regarding marks which should appear on cases. In the absence 
of these instructions any suitable mark may be used. A mark made 
up of a design like a square or diamond containing the initials of the 
consignee is very acceptable. Cases should be marked on two 
adjacent sides with the shipping mark of the consignee, net and 
gross weights in pounds and kilos, the dimensions of the case, and 
the cubic contents of same. A serial number should appear on every 
case or they should be numbered consecutively, or both. Letters 
and figures must not be less than 2 inches high. Marks, weights, 
measurements, etc., should be stenciled on the cases in ink. Weights 
and measurements shown must be accurate, as most foreign cus¬ 
toms authorities where duties are assessed on a weight basis assume 
that there has been intent to defraud when these are not correct. 
In any event, if correct weights and measurements are not given, 
goods will be delayed until an investigation determines the cause 
and until the error is rectified. 

A very convenient way of numbering cases and crates has been 
adopted by several large manufacurers at the request of their Argen¬ 
tine agents. Supposing, by way of an example, that an Argentine 
importing house is buying implements from a number of manufac¬ 
turers. When the goods arrive from the different factories they 
often have to be stored in warehouses for a considerable time. It 
is likely that many cases containing different implements or parts of 
complete implements will be similar in appearance. Therefore, 
some distinguishing mark is needed to save time in separating the 
cases as they come from the steamer to the warehouse and again 
when they are sent into the country. For this purpose serial num¬ 
bers are used in addition to all other marks previously referred to. 
An importing house receives disk harrows- from Jones & Co. and 
disk drdls from Smith & Co. In that case Jones & Co. are instructed 
to letter all cases and crates “J,” which immediately serves to indi¬ 
cate from what factory the goods have been received. In addition 
Jones & Co. have been advised that No. 446 represents an 8-foot 
disk harrow with certain specified equipment, less main evener bars 
and poles; No. 447 represents a crate containing 10 main evener 
bars; No. 448 a crate containing 5 main evener bars; No. 449 a 
crate containing 10 poles; No. 450 a crate containing 5 poles. Then 
in a shipment from Jones & Co., where a case is marked J446 the 
warehouseman instantly knows he has a disk harrow, 8-foot size, 
less main evener bar and pole. If he has to ship out the harrow he 
simply sends one case J446, one pole from crate J449 or J450, and 
one main evener bar from crate J447 or J448. Likewise disk drills 
from Smith & Co. will be marked “S,” but some other number will 
be used to distinguish between the different types of machines 
S340 might mean one size drill, S350 another size, and so on. Serial 
numbers of this kind when used should not be less than 5 inches 
high stenciled in ink on two opposite sides of each case or crate. 

Some firms even add another letter to the serial number, after the 
number, as J446A. The final letter is to determine the year in which 
the goods are purchased. In the foregoing combination, if “A” is 
taken to represent the year 1916, then J446A appearing on a case 


MARKETS IK ARGENTINA. 


45 


instantly informs the warehouseman that the case contains a Jones 
& Co. 8-foot disk harrow, less main evener bar and pole, season 1916. 
For subsequent years other final letters may be used in alphabetical 
sequence. 

DIRECTION SHEETS AND REPAIR LISTS. 

Something of great importance which is often overlooked by the 
manufacturer is the furnishing of direction sheets and repair lists in 
the Spanish language. Implements, when prepared for export ship¬ 
ment, must be pretty well knocked down to economize on freight. 
They not only arrive in Buenos Aires or other ports in that condition 
but are also sent to destination in the country in the original cases. 
The farmers, as a rule, know very little about mechanics, even in the 
most elementary form, and in order to set up or assemble the imple¬ 
ment they must have directions for doing so written in Spanish and 
illustrated with cuts. The direction sheet or catalogue should also 
contain a list of every part entering into the construction of the 
implement, together with a description of each part in Spanish, and 
a cut of each part with its respective number. These direction sheets 
should go into every case containing a complete implement. If any 
changes in construction are made the direction sheets should show 
the new parts. At the present time, packing troubles having largely 
been overcome, there is more complaint from Buenos Aires importers 
regarding the lack of attention given to direction sheets than on any 
other single point. 

PLOWS. 

All ground destined for crops must first be plowed. Therefore it 
is only natural to give information regarding plows first, especially 
considering that these implements are in great demand in Argentina, 
and perhaps differ in more points of construction from similar imple¬ 
ments sold in the United States than any other implement or farm 
machine. The types in use at the present time, especially sulky and 
gang plows, are the result of many years’ careful study of Argentine 
requirements. The different types were slowly developed by men of 
wide experience, and it is safe to predict that no very great changes 
will have to be contemplated for many years to come. A sturdy 
light construction, with great attention to neatness of design and 
finish, is essential. Only right-hand plows are sold in this market. 
Steel construction, wherever possible, is greatly to be desired for any 
implement destined for sale in Argentina. This is particularly true 
in plow construction and wherever possible the use of castings should 
be avoided. 

GANG PLOWS, MOLDBOARD TYPE. 

The greatest demand is for two-bottom gang plows to which a third 
beam and bottom may easily be attached. In considering points of 
difference in the construction of gang plows used in Argentina and 
those in the United States, attention is attracted to the high beaming 
and greater fore-and-aft clearance of the former. Gang plows for 
Argentina should have not less than 19 inches clearance under the 
beams along a line drawn horizontally from the point of the share to 
the underside of the beam; 20 inches is better. The distance, 
measured in a straight line from the front beam to the rear beam. 


46 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


should be 22 or 23 inches, the measurement being taken just above 
the point where the tops of the moldboards leave the beam. The 
distance between second and third beams, when the latter are used, 
should of course be the same. Aside from these differences, and con¬ 
sidering for the moment only the heavy type of gang plows having 
14-inch bottoms, the following points should be observed: Front 
and rear beam braces are adjustable, not solid as in the United States. 
The'reason for this is that farmers often want to open up the plow 
so that each 14-inch bottom will be spaced to take 15 inches. This 
arrangement is particularly desirable for plowing a second time and 
when a corn-planter attachment is used. In dry weather, when the 
ground is hard, it is often desirable to narrow the cut of each bottom 
by 1 inch to lighten the work of the horses. Therefore beam 
braces, which must be strong, should be so made that a gang plow 
equipped with 14-inch bottoms can be set so each bottom will take 
13, 14, or 15 inches of land. 

Wheels .—The land wheel of the plow must be higher and stronger 
than that generally employed in the United States. The front fur¬ 
row wheel must also be stronger. Solid pressed steel rear wheels are 
the most acceptable, as there is generally an abundance of long straw 
and weeds in stubble fields which have a tendency to wind into open 
rear wheels and affect the proper working of the plow. The rear 
wheel should be set so as to run in the corner of the furrow, next to 
the furrow wall, and not in the center of the furrow. All wheels 
must be provided with good boxings and sand collars and caps. 
Much attention should be given to the construction of the collars and 
caps, as the soil in most places has a large amount of sand. 

Axles .—The most desirable cross-axle construction is a one-piece 
square pipe axle, which must be securely fastened to steel clamps. 
The steel clamps must be arranged so that the cross axle will pass 
over and not under the beams. The reason for this is that great 
clearance must be provided for turning under cornstalks, which are 
seldom pastured off. The clamps should be secured to the beams by 
hot riveting. Two parallel bars are often used in the same manner 
for cross axles, but they must be made strong and secured to the beams 
in such a manner that they can not get loose, or they will not be as 
acceptable to the Argentine farmer as the square pipe axle. The 
furrow-wheel axle should be at least one-eighth of an inch greater in 
diameter than that generally used in this country. Land and rear 
wheel axles need no special construction. The up-and-down range 
of the furrow axle must not be less than 7 inches, for, while the 
Argentine farmer does not want a high lift plow, he wants plenty of 
clearance under the bottom when the plow is lifted for transport. 

Ratchets .—Malleable or steel ratchets should be firmly secured to 
both ends of the cross axle and should have notches from J to 1 inch 
deep. Land to be plowed is generally more or less rough and lumpy 
and unless deep notches are provided in the ratchets the levers will 
fly out of place when the plow is at work, causing much annoyance 
to the plowman and often resulting in expensive breakages and in 
delays. 

Springs .—A long heavy spring should be furnished for the lifting 
or furrow lever, and a heavy cushion spring for the land lever. 
Springs for holding lever dogs in place should come in for a great deal 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


47 


of attention on account of the tendency of the levers to fly out of 
place when the plow is working in rough ground. 

Hitch .—Any complicated form of hitch control, or construction 
haying a tendency to automatically guide the plow, by directing the 
animals hitched to it, however desirable it may be when properly 
adjusted, should be religiously avoided, as it is a source of trouble and 
often results in the condemnation of a perfectly good plow. In view 
of the fact that gang plows for Argentina must be adjustable to 
different cuts, as has already been explained, and owing to the fact 
that horses used are almost never trained plow horses, a simple angle- 
iron or similar clevis should be provided, so that the entire hitch can 
be easily shifted from left to right or vice versa. All hitch and clevis 
parts should be strongly built of steel, as steel six-horse abreast 
eveners are used and this size of evener is heavy. The vertical clevis 
should be so constructed that it will support the evener clevis in a 
horizontal position parallel to the surface of the ground. The evener 
should never be permitted to touch or drag on the ground. Six- 
horse abreast steel eveners with 28-inch singletrees have been in de¬ 
mand, but there is a tendency to widen the singletrees to 29 or 30 
inches, the latter size being more commonly employed in this country. 

Seat and spring .—A comfortable pressed-steel seat and a good seat 
spring are required on all gang plows. 

Bottoms .—Hardened soft-center steel moldboards and crucible- 
steel shares are in demand in Argentina. There is no condition re¬ 
quiring a hardened soft-center steel share. One extra crucible share 
must be furnished for each bottom and all extra shares must come 
from the factory with the proper bolts with ground heads. The 
frame or frog of the plow bottom should be of pressed steel. A short 
landside for the front bottom and long landsides for the rear bottoms 
are required on all two and three bottom gang plows. 

Except in the Province of Entre Rios, there are no difficult scouring 
soils in Argentina where the areas under cultivation require the use 
of either sulky or gang moldboard plows. In the Province of Entre 
Rios a rather long, slow-turning, stubble moldboard must be used. In 
other parts of the Republic shorter quick-turning stubble moldboards 
can be used, whether for plowing stubble or breaking new land. 
Prairie breakers are never used. The stubble bottom efficiently 
handles any of the work to be done. The two types of moldboards 
should be interchangeable on one bottom. 

Rolling colters .—For some years the demand has been for large 
rolling colters. Eighteen-inch colters have been the most popular, 
but there is a tendency in many parts of the country to use full-cut 
16-inch rolling colters. Colters must be adjustable up and down 
and laterally. Owing to the sandy condition of the soil and the dis¬ 
regard for lubricating oil, long chilled bearings revolving about a 
tempered steel bolt should be furnished. The bearing should be a 
one-piece bearing the length of the distance between the outer edges 
of the colter hubs. A two-piece bearing is not acceptable, nor will 
it wear more than about a week, no matter what material enters into 
its construction. Adjustable C. R. C. clamps are a necessary part 
of the rolling-colter equipment. Jointers are not used in Argentina. 
The average yearly sale of a plow of this type is between 20,000 and 
22 , 000 . 


48 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


LIGHT GANG PLOWS. 

In addition to the heavy type of gang plows just described, there 
is a demand for a lighter gang plow of similar construction through¬ 
out, the sale of which reaches more than 2,500 plows a year. The 
light gang plow has 12-inch in place of 14-inch bottoms and is usu¬ 
ally furnished without an evener, although the hitch is provided so 
an evener can be used if necessary or desirable. Rolling colters are 
often supplied in .the 13-inch size; the full-cut 16-inch colter is 
more popular. 

In every other respect save one the remarks regarding heavy gang 
plows will apply to the light plow. The one exception is the bottoms; 
the moldboards as well as the shares should be of crucible steel and 
may be of lighter stock than that ordinarily employed in regular 
plow bottoms. The spacing distances should be 10, 12, and 14 inches. 

At one time there was a demand for a light walking gang plow, but 
its place has now been taken by the riding plow. 

SULKY PLOWS. 

In sulky plows the demand is for 16 and 18 inch plows. Of the 
16-inch sulky plows from 12,000 to 15,000 are sold annually. The 
18-inch size is not nearly so popular and total sales will range between 
2,000 and 3,000 plows. In sulky plows for Argentina the manufac¬ 
turer should seek light but sturdy construction. Particular attention 
must be given to the construction of long, sand-proof wheel boxes. 

Wheels .—Heavy land and front furrow wheels must be provided. 
Nothing is a source of so much annoyance to the farmer as the break¬ 
ing of a wheel, nor will anything condemn a plow quicker. On 
account of the space they occupy, the transportation of wheels is 
very expensive and by the time they reach a farmer in the interior 
spare wheels are very high in price. Rear wheels, except on plows 
destined for the Province of Entre Rios, should be of solid pressed 
steel and no scraper is required. On plows destined for Entre Rios, 
where the soil is somewhat waxy, open rear wheels with scrapers should 
be supplied. Rear wheels must run in the corner of the furrow next 
to the furrow wall, never in the center of the furrow. 

Axles .—The front furrow wheel axle must be somewhat heavier than 
that usually employed in this country. The up-and-down range 
should be not less than 3 inches more than is ordinarily required for 
the domestic trade. In order to give the plow plenty of clearance 
when working in cornstalks, which are seldom pastured off, the cross 
axle should be placed over the beam and not under it. It should 
be long enough so it can be extended several inches to the right when 
the plow is used with a corn-planter attachment. The method of 
securing the cross axle to the beam should be carefully studied and 
its supports riveted in place on the beam by means of hot rivets. 

Levers and springs .—A simple landing lever for controlling the 
front furrow wheel, constructed without any adjustments, is all that 
is needed to give the operator complete control of the width of cut 
under all conditions. It is generally conceded that flexible rod or 
pipe connections between both furrow wheels and the hitch, however 
desirable they may be where their purpose is thoroughly understood, 
will only lead to trouble if used in the construction of Argentine plows. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


49 


The lifting lever on sulky plows should be long, and a heavy lifting 
spring is a very desirable feature to aid the operator in lifting the 
plow out of the ground when plowing in meadows or old alfalfa land. 
The land lever requires no special construction, but it must be supplied 
with a good cushion spring. Levers to raise the rear end of mold- 
board plows out of the ground are used by some manufacturers, but 
are not necessary, especially if an automatic locking and unlocking 
rear wheel is used. Dog springs must be strong and should be 
covered so that inclement weather will not too soon require them to 
be replaced. 

Ratchets .—The generally uneven condition of the ground and the 
necessity of plowing across corn ridges requires most careful atten¬ 
tion to the construction of ratchets. The notches in land and furrow 
ratchets must be from three-fourths to seven-eighths of an inch, or 
even 1 inch, deep. 

Hitch. —Four-horse abreast steel eveners are generally used on 
sulky plows. Dial clevises are not popular and should be avoided. 
An angle-iron clevis of steel having a wide ran^e of adjustment to 
right or left is essential. The vertical clevis should be so constructed 
that it will hold the evener clevis horizontally and parallel to the 
ground at all times. Eveners when attached to the plow should 
never hang down or touch or drag on the ground. Even when the 
plow is at rest the evener should remain in a horizontal position par¬ 
allel to the ground. 

Rolling colters. —Adjustable circular rolling colters are a part of 
the equipment of every sulky plow. Jointers are never used. Rolling 
colters are used in two sizes, full-cut 16-inch and 18-inch. The 15£- 
inch blade, termed 16-inch in the United States, is not large enough. 

American manufacturers, with one or two exceptions, have not 
given enough attention to the construction of rolling-colter hubs, 
bushings, and yokes. Malleable yokes having steel washers in the 
two ends where they take the hubs of the blade, with the washers 
placed one in each side of the yoke, so the hub wears against the steel 
surface of the washer instead of against the ends of the yoke, will 
give the best results. The hubs on the blade may be of malleable 
iron, but should be constructed so that a long one-piece chided 
bearing, like that described for use with gang plows, may be used. 
Small cone-shaped bushings, or any other type not having a bearing 
surface equal to the distance between the outer edges of the hubs, no 
matter what is claimed for them where farmers know how to adjust 
them and take up the wear, will not give good results. The colter 
shanks or stems should be strong, fastened to the beam by means of 
an adjustable clamp, and should have a wide range of lateral as well 
up-and-down adjustment. 

Bottoms .—The stubble bottom is the only type of bottom required 
in Argentina. Two different moldboards must be supplied inter¬ 
changeable on one bottom. For all districts except the Province of 
Entre Rios, a short, quick-turning stubble bottom answers every 
purpose; for Entre Rios a somewhat longer, slower-turning bottom 
is required, as the soil, especially when damp from dews or rains, is 
quite waxy. Old-ground, prairie-breaker, rod, or slat bottoms are 
not required. There is no condition requiring a hardened soft-center 
steel share; a crucible-steel share answers every purpose. One extra 
59835°—16-4 


50 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


share for each bottom is a part of the regular equipment of every 
plow. 

Pole attachment .—There can be no set rule regarding poles and pole 
attachments; they are as often furnished as not. In designing 
sulky or gang plows of the moldboard type manufacturers should 
take this into consideration and be prepared to supply poles or pole 
attachments if called for. 

General remarks .—Heavy sulky plows with 18-inch bottoms are 
nearly always used for planting corn and should be constructed with 
an extended furrow axle so the plow can be opened up for planting 
corn. The 18-inch plow should have a heavier beam than the 
16-inch plow and is nearly always used with 18-inch circular rolling 
colters. The pole attachment is rarely used on 18-inch plows. 

CORN-PLANTER ATTACHMENTS. 

Corn-planter attachments for sulky and gang plows are in great 
demand in many districts in Argentina. They are never required 
to be packed in the cases containing plows and should be packed 
separately in cases containing five complete attachments. A manu¬ 
facturer supplying both sulky and gang plows of the moldboard type 
and disk plows should use one planter attachment for all moldboard 
plows and another for all disk plows. The plate equipment should 
consist of four plates for drilling in corn—one three-hole, one four-hole, 
one five-hole, and one blank plate. In each seed can must be placed 
a Spanish direction sheet and repair list, showing in detail how to 
apply the attachment to the plow and containing a description list 
of the parts and cuts of the repair parts with their respective numbers. 

WALKING PLOWS. 

For vineyard and sugar-cane cultivation many wooden-beam plows 
in the 6, 7, and 8 inch sizes are used. These have a single wooden 
handle, gauge wheel, and one extra share each. Plows should be 
knocked down and packed five complete plows to a case. Some 
farmers in the vineyard districts, especially those who have worked 
land in the grain belt and are familiar with heavier plows of more 
modern construction, prefer steel-beam plows, with one steel handle, 
gauge wheel, and one extra share. 

Aside from these very small walking plows, there is little demand 
for plows of that type, and total sales of all sizes up to 12 inches will 
probably not average more than 1,600 to 1,800 plows a year for the 
entire country. It is a class of business to which most of the large 
houses have given very little attention on account of the great and 
general demand for sulky and gang plows. Many hundreds of very 
cheap wooden-beam plows having cast-iron bottoms are sold every 
year. Sales of these plows are effected on a basis of so much per 
pound, and the large implement houses, except in one or two instances, 
care little or nothing for this class of business. 

MIDDLE-BREAKER PLOWS. 

Middle-breaker plows are not extensively used in Argentina, as 
most of the cultivation is on level ground. The greatest demand is 
lor 8 and 10 inch sizes. Quite recently there has been a slight demand 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


51 


for 16-inch middle breakers having a 14-inch share, with one extra 
share, gauge wheel, and moldboard extensions. These are used for 
making irrigation and drainage ditches. 

DISK PLOWS. 

Disk plows are in great demand in the southern, western, and 
northern parts of the Republic. In the southern part of the Province 
of Buenos Aires, in the small-grain district the land is generally 
plowed shortly after harvest and then sown to some forage crop 
Which is used for green feed in the winter. Before putting in the 
next season’s crop the land must be again plowed, ana as the soil is 
light, a moldboard plow will not do the work as well as a disk plow. 
In the western parts of the country the soil is generally light and 
sandy and can be handled to better advantage with disk plows. In 
the north much of the land in cultivation is cut-over timber land, full 
of roots, and requires a good strong disk plow. 

A manufacturer desiring a part of the disk-plow trade in Argentina 
will have to be in a position to furnish two types, a light plow and a 
heavy one. The light plow is required in one, two, and three disk 
sizes. The heavy type in one, two, three, and four disk sizes. Both 
friction sleeve and ball-bearing types have been supplied. The former 
is more desirable for light work, the latter for heavy work, particu¬ 
larly in the case of heavy four-disk plows, often used for power 
plowing. 

DisJc-plow equipment. —All disk plows, except in a few isolated 
cases, should be supplied with 24-inch disks. Two 70-pound wheel 
rims, which can easily be attached and as quickly detached—one for 
each of the furrow wheels—should be a part of the regular equipment 
of every disk plow. Single-disk plows should be equipped with three- 
horse steel eveners; double-disk plow^s with five-horse abreast steel 
eveners; triple disk plows with six-horse abreast steel eveners; and 
quadruple disk plows without eveners, as they are sold in small num¬ 
bers, generally only for power plowing. 

LIGHT DISK PLOWS. 

Frame. —The frame of the light-type single-disk plow should be 
made so that it can be easity and quickly converted into a double or 
triple plow, or the triple plow made into either a double or single one. 

Disk, bearings. —Disk bearings must be attached to the frame so that 
they can be given either of two adjustments, one giving the disk a 
less vertical adjustment than the other, for work in different condi¬ 
tions of soil. Hard-oil grease cups should be used on all bearings and 
the cup should be situated so that when plowing in sod ground 
chunks of sod will not strike it as they leave the disk and either 
break off the cup entirely or turn off the cap. 

Wheels and boxes. —Strong cast wheels having V-shaped rims are 
generally used. Boxes or bearings should be dust proof and large 
enough to contain sufficient grease for a long time. 

Scrapers. —A very desirable scraper is one which will turn a part 
of the soil, like the moldboard on that type of plow. It should be 
adjustable, strongly built, and secured by a strong, adjustable clamp. 

Levers and springs. —Levers should be strong and conveniently 
placed and of sufficient length to enable a rather light man to easily 
handle the plow. 


52 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


Hitch .—A strong, simple hitch, the individual parts of which have 
great wearing qualities, is more desirable than a complicated hitch 
of more and lighter parts, even if the latter tends to make the imple¬ 
ment more nearly automatic in its control. 

LISTERS. 

Some seven or eight years ago several large planters, after having 
heard of the good results obtained in the United States through the 
use of listers for com planting, were induced to try a few machines 
in Argentina. The nature of the soil and lack of rainfall during some 
years in the districts in which they resided made the planting of 
large areas to corn very hazardous. If they got enough rain, they 
could count on a good crop; if they did not get enough rain, the efforts 
of a whole year were wasted and they' suffered heavy losses. 

The first year the machines were used there was an abundance of 
rain, and the benefits to be derived from the use of listers could not 
be fully ascertained. During the second season, however, a long 
drought laid waste many acres of com on adjoining lands, while the 
planters who had used the listers and had decided to give them a 
thorough trial were rewarded with a heavy crop. One by one in 
different sections of the country farmers were induced to purchase 
listers and list their corn instead of planting it in the old way. Results, 
generally speaking, have been highly satisfactory, and during the 
1915 season nearly 300 two-row listers were disposed of in addition 
to more than 100 single-row machines. Many more of the two-row 
machines could have been sold if it had been possible to get them from 
the United States in time. The trade will continue to grow. 

Frame .—A high-frame, two-wheel machine leads in popularity at 
the present time. The frame, rigidly constructed, carries seat and 
spring, the seed cans, and the bails to which the plow bottoms and 
covering parts are attached. There are two levers, one for lifting 
the bottoms clear of the ground and automatically throwing the seed¬ 
ing mechanism out of gear, the other for tilting the plow bottoms. 
To the center of the frame two steel bars, which cross over the front 
member of the frame, are fastened and serve as a support for the 
evener. The bottoms are spaced to give an adjustment of 32 to 38 
inches between rows. 

Seed cans .—Cornfields in Argentina are large, and rows are there¬ 
fore much longer than in the United States. The advisability of 
equipping listers with: seed cans of twice the capacity of those used 
in the domestic trade will at once be appreciated. Seed com is gen¬ 
erally smaller than our own and smooth, which partly explains the 
demand for a flat drop. Seed cans are placed forward on the frame, 
the seat in the center on the rear member; thus the operator can 
see the seed as it falls and always knows that he is getting the amount 
required to. insure a good stand. 

Bottoms , boots, and coverers .—On the two-row lister 12-inch bot¬ 
toms are used. Hardened soft-center steel moldboards and crucible 
shares are in demand, and one extra crucible share is furnished for 
each bottom. The bottoms are attached to beams, which are hung 
on bails independent of the frame. Moldboard extensions are sup¬ 
plied to keep loose ground from going over the tops of the moldboards. 
The seed boot is attached to the rear of the beam behind the bottoms, 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


53 


and seed is carried down through spiral ribbon tubes from the seed 
cans. Disk coverers attached to the seed hoot cover the grain to 
the desired depth, and press wheels attached to the main frame, two 
for each furrow, pack the soil around the seed. A good, serviceable 
root cutter for each bottom is a much-needed part of the equipment. 

SINGLE-ROW LISTERS. 

The three-wheel, single-row lister used in the United States has not 
required any changes in construction to make it suitable to Argen¬ 
tine conditions. Chain drive for the seeding mechanism is more 
popular than gears. Twelve-inch bottoms, with crucible share and 
one extra share, are part of the regular equipment of every lister. A 
machine having the seed cans forward of the seat, with flat drop and 
disk coverers, makes an instant appeal to the farmer requiring a 
single-row lister. 

HARROWS. 

DISK HARROWS. • 

The work of salesmen in Argentina in teaching agriculturists the 
benefits to be derived from the use of disk harrows has been in a high 
degree responsible for the ever-increasing demand for that implement. 

Argentine disk harrows differ but little in points of construction from 
harrows used in the United States. Asi le from the fact that a well- 
designed, strong, and highly flexible harrow will meet with approval 
in all sections of the country, there is one point meriting special atten¬ 
tion, and that is the position of the seat. In many parts of the country 
the very rough condition of the ground, often very dry at the time 
when it must be disked, makes it difficult for the operator to keep his 
seat and properly manage the team and harrow. To overcome the 
tendency to tip forward and throw the operator from his seat, the 
stub pole should be carried well to the rear. With the seat and seat 
spring on the rear end of the stub pole, the operator will be behind 
the disk gangs, an*d in the event of being thrown from his seat he 
will not fall directly in front of the disks and endanger his life. Fail¬ 
ure to observe the remarks with reference to the location of the seat 
will result in the condemnation of a disk harrow quicker than any 
other thing. Hard-oil grease cups are necessary on all disk harrows, 
and careful regard to their construction will claim the attention of 
farmers. 

Disk harrows, the total sales of which are more than 2,000 harrows 
annually, are furnished in 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 foot sizes. These 
different sizes are supplied with either 16, 18, or 20 inch disks. The 
round disk is more commonly used, but there is an occasional call 
for cut disks. The 4, 5, and 6 foot sizes are seldom equipped with 
weight boxes. All the other sizes require that attachment. Oscil¬ 
lating scrapers are a part of the regular equipment of Argentine disk 
harrows, and their construction deserves special attention, as seeders 
are frequently used on disk harrows for putting in oats and other 
small grain in the spring when the soil is very damp. For the pur¬ 
pose of breaking the middles between the gangs it is very desirable 
to furnish a double-pointed pin-break middle breaker with every disk 
harrow. 


54 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


As a part of the regular equipment 4 and 5 foot harrows are sup¬ 
plied with two-horse eveners; 6-foot harrows with three-horse even- 
ers; 7, 8, 10, and 12 foot harrows with four-horse eveners. Seven 
and eight foot harrows and larger sizes are almost always used with 
tongue trucks. Tongue trucks, as well as transport trucks, do not 
in any case form a part of the regular part of the equipment of disk 
harrows, but are supplied to the Argentine importers at an extra 
price. 

REVERSIBLE DISK HARROWS. 

For orchard and vineyard cultivation there is a limited demand for 
a high-frame, adjustable, and reversible disk harrow. This imple¬ 
ment is also used in the cultivation of sugar cane in the northern 
Provinces. For a long time the most popular size was a six-disk 
18-inch harrow, with combination pole and shafts. Extra disks and 
collars to convert the harrow into an eight-disk machine were always 
furnished. An eight-disk machine with 18-inch disks is now in 
demand, and it must come equipped with a pole two-horse evener. 

SEEDERS FOR DISK HARROWS. 

Force-feed broadcast seeders for 6, 7, and 8 foot disk harrows are 
quite popular in many sections of the country. Grass seeders for 
sowing alfalfa seed are sold in limited quantities in the same sizes. 
Agitator drills and seeder attachments in the 6, 7, and 8 foot sizes 
for harrows having either 16 or 20 inch disks are also in demand. 

An item of special interest to most manufacturers and deserving 
of a great deal of attention is the construction of gang bars—that is, 
the connections between the levers and the gangs which through 
the levers actuate the gangs and enable the operator to give the 
latter any desired angle. Several of the large importing houses 
received complaints from county dealers that the gang bars were 
not strong enough, and that they frequently bent out of shape. An 
investigation to determine the cause clearly proved that, although 
the bars were strong enough, the manufacturer had constructed them 
in such a manner that they could be put on end for end, and that 
either end could be fastened to the end of the gang lever. The gang 
‘bars had a dip at one end, which was designed to be placed at a point 
near the gangs. If they happened to be placed wrong end to, the force 
exerted on the bars by moving the lever forward and rearward did 
not come in a direct line and had a tendency to bend the gang bars. 
When the gang bars were properly attached, with the curved ends 
next to the gangs, they were strong enough and no trouble resulted. 
Therefore, if the construction of the gang bars is such that they must 
be put on in a certain way to insure the proper working of the har¬ 
row, some means should be provided, like having a square hole in 
one end, so that in setting up the implement farmers can not make 
a mistake. Such trifling things as this often put an importer to great 
expense to rectify. 

SPIKE-TOOTH HARROWS. 

U-BAR HARROWS. 

The most acceptable spike-tooth harrow in Argentina is a five- 
bar U-bar lever harrow. Longer and larger teeth are the only dif¬ 
ferences in construction to be observed with reference to similar 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


55 


harrows in the United States. The teeth should be f by f by 10 
inches, and must be firmly clamped to the bar of the harrow. Re¬ 
versible teeth are not desirable tor the reason that in general they 
can not be so firmly held in place, nor do they have the strength of 
the nonreversible type. 

The most popular sizes are the two-section 50-tooth, two-section 
60-tooth, two-section 70-tooth, three-section 75-tooth, and three- 
section 90-tooth harrows. They are always supplied with their 
respective eveners. For transportation harrows are usually crated 
five complete harrows, less eveners, to a crate. Eveners are crated 
in any convenient number, usually in lots of 5 or 10, depending on 
the size of a single shipment. 

PIPE-BAR HARROWS. 

Next in order of importance is the pipe-bar lever harrow. This 
harrow is required in two-section 50-tooth, two-section 70-tooth, and 
thr6e-section 90-tooth sizes. Teeth should be f by f inch and from 
8 to 8| inches long. Eveners must always be furnished. Packing 
the same as the U-bar type. 


COMPETITION* 

The only competition, except between bouses selling American 
harrows, is from England. Chain harrows of English manufacture 
are sent to Argentina in small lots and sold at a price about 15 per 
rent higher than the price of the corresponding size of American 
spike-tooth harrow. Some harrows are made in local blacksmith 
shops and other small shops, but little importance is attached to 
their influence on the trade. 

SEEDING MACHINERY. 

GRAIN DRILLS. 

About 1906 an extensive sales campaign for the sale of grain drills 
was inaugurated by large importing houses in Buenos Aires, and the 
lead was followed by houses of lesser importance in Rosario. This 
was one machine which the farmers had been slow in taking up, pre¬ 
ferring to broadcast their crops or sow by hand. By selling a few 
grain drills in each important district the attention of the farmers 
was attracted to the neatness of the work and general evenness of 
the stand. The fact that seed was sown to a uniform depth and 
immediately covered, so that birds could not eat it, started a demand 
for different kinds of grain drills, which kept increasing by leaps and 
bounds until 1912. 

In some years close to 5,000 grain drills were disposed of in Argen¬ 
tina. The unsettled condition in many parts of the country which 
has prevailed since 1912—partial crop failures in some districts for 
two or three successive years and the return of much land to stock 
raising as a result of the crop failures—all had an effect on the sale 
of gram drills, and since 1912 orders to the manufacturers, generally • 
speaking, became smaller and smaller. It is generally conceded at this 
time (May) that stocks are low, although the season is just on and they 
are larger than will be the case several months hence. Some houses 
are entirely sold out of seeding machinery, while one or two have a 


56 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

pretty fair carry-over. Figures can not be given, owing to the fact 
that one or two houses known to have quite a stock and to have 
ordered sparingly for several years will not make even a general 
statement. 

General features .—Generally speaking, disk drills sold in the Argen¬ 
tine market have been supplied with a well-trussed square pip>e 
frame. There is a tendency to make the machines lighter, and it 
has been stated that several manufacturers will design new angle- 
iron frames to take the place of those now used. Double-run feed 
is preferred in nearly all districts, but many fluted force-feed drills 
have been sold and will continue to be sold in the southern and' 
western districts of the country. 

The majority of the drills-have single-disk openers, and much 
attention has been given to the construction of dust-proof disk bear¬ 
ings. Shoe drills are sold in two sizes only, 17 and 22 furrows. Floe 
drills and double-disk drills are not popular. Grain drills are used 
only for small grain and alfalfa, therefore no attention need be given 
to the construction of a drill which will handle beans, corn, or other 
large seeds. Wide-tire wooden wheels, having large hubs with large 
hard-oil grease cups, are in general demand. Simple change-speed 
gear drives are essential to the success of a drill, and the parts must 
be combined in such a manner that they will not wear quickly or 
be easily broken. The construction of a very simple, thoroughly 
efficient, and long-life change-speed gear, next to a no-sag well-braced 
frame, is one of the points requiring the greatest attention in design¬ 
ing a drill for Argentina. 

The grain hoppers should be so constructed that they can be used 
for sowing alfalfa by the simple addition of the proper size cups, 
introduced into one-half of the stationary seed cup, the other half 
being closed with a gate. Auxiliary hoppers for sowing alfalfa at 
the same time grain is sown should also be furnished when called 
for. In Argentina many tenants rent tracts of land for growing 
small grain for a period of five years. At the end of that time they 
are required to deliver the land, sown to alfalfa, to the owner; hence 
during the fifth season they will want to sow small grain and alfalfa 
at the same time. 

Equipment .—The usual equipment consists of eveners of the proper 
size, spiral ribbon gi\.in tubes, and covering chains. A large part of 
the drills sold have 6-inch feed, but some firms bring out only drills 
with 7-inch feed. In the main, houses confine themselves to either 
6 or 7 inch feeds to simplify repair stocks. A comfortable seat is 
required on all drills. 

The sizes in demand, in addition to the shoe drills mentioned above, 
are 14, 17, 20, 22, and 24, single-disk drills. There is not a market 
in Argentina for one-horse and fertilizer drills, nor is there anything 
but an occasional call for gang press wheel attachments. 

BROADCAST SOWERS. 

« The total number of broadcast sowers for which there is an annual 
demand in Argentina is about 1,500. Only wide-track 14-inch 
force-feed sowers with steel wheels are now sold in large quantities. 
An auxiliary grass seeder for sowing alfalfa with grain is much in 
demand. Land measures and feed gauges must be in Spanish. 
Two-horse eveners and neck yokes are part of the regular equipment. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


57 


CORN PLANTERS. 

The areas devoted to the cultivation of corn are very large. Most of 
the corn grown is exported, only a very small percentage remaining 
in the country. The acreage and production is gradually increasing 
and will continue to do so almost indefinitely. 

In Argentina corn is drilled in with three-row disk drills having 
double-disk openers, in rows 26 to 30 inches apart. Until recently 
comparatively few farmers used the wide setting on their drills; the 
present tendency is to widen the planting to 30 inches, and in all 
probability within a year or two it will be increased to 32 inches. 
Corn grows to an average height of about 7 feet and the stalks are 
rather small in diameter. The majority of the stalks bear only one 
ear of corn, usually found about 3 or 4 feet above the ground. Often 
there will be two ears on a single stalk, the second ear almost always 
being found near the top of the stalk. More than two ears on one 
stalk is a very rare occurrence. Corn is planted during July, August, 
and September and is harvested during March, April, and May. 
Only a very small amount is handled with the husk on. 

The most successful corn drill is a machine having a strong, well- 
built, angle-iron main frame supported on two wheels attached to a 
live axle. The frame must be well braced so it will not have a ten¬ 
dency to sag in the center. An auxiliary or jack shaft having a set 
of gears that are automatically thrown in mesh with a gear on the 
five axle by a single lever, which also lowers the openers to a working 
position, is a very desirable form of construction The most popular 
drills of this type have 42-inch steel wheels with staggered spokes, 
long bearings, and a 4 or 5 inch concave rim. Flat-rim wheels must 
be avoided. Double-disk openers with knife coverers are held in 
high favor, but runner openers with press wheels are also in demand. 
Both types of furrow openers should be interchangeable on one drill. 
Knife coverers and press wheels must be provided with separate 
pressure springs and must be attached to the seed boot so they can 
rise or fall when passing over obstructions without raising the furrow 
opener at the same time. 

Seed cans should be large, double the capacity of the cans usually 
furnished on planters in the United States. Each seed can must be 
provided with a small lever which will permit it to be raised off 
the drive gear and out of working position without stopping the 
machine. Fertilizer attachments are not required. The seat should 
be placed in such a position that the operator has the seeding mecha¬ 
nism in view at all times. Disk bearings must be dust proof, simple 
in construction, and easy to replace. The seed boot must not be 
carried to a point too low between the disks or it will strike lumps or 
clods of dirt and have a tendency to raise the furrow opener out of 
working position. 

Two adjustable revolving disk markers must be supplied on each 
machine. The marker disks, provided with dust-proof bearings, 
should be attached to rods running into pipes, one of the pipes to be 
attached to the rear in each corner of the main frame by some suitable 
flexible connection. From the front corner of each side of the frame 
adjustable rods should be furnished to hold the disks to their work 
in a line parallel to the direction taken by the machine. It is neces¬ 
sary to attach a rope to each marker disk so as it can be raised inde- 


58 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


pendently of the other from the seat of the machine. It is important 
that all disk bearings and axle bearings be furnished with suitable 
hard-oil grease cups. 

Two-horse eveners are a part of the regular equipment of every 
machine. The poles must be provided with ox hitch, as oxen are 
often used in the corn districts. The ox hitch need consist of only 
two steel plates 12 inches long for top and bottom of the end of the 
pole, with a 1-inch steel rod passing through the end of the pole and 
projecting about 8 inches beyond it. The rod should be upset at a 
point about 4 inches from one end to provide a shoulder which will 
not permit it to pass more than that distance through the planter 
pole. The short end may be threaded or may have a cotter pin for 
the purpose of securing it to the pole. Plate equipment should 
consist of three sets of plates for rather small, smooth corn and three 
blank plates. 

POTATO PLANTERS. 

Potatoes are a much-prized article of food in Argentina, yet the 
cultivation of them has been neglected except in a few districts in the 
southeastern part of the Province of Buenos Aires. All farmers raise 
enough potatoes for their own use but vety few of them raise any 
quantity for market. Potatoes are planted in hills about 20 to 24 
inches apart, in rows about 30 inches apart. Most of the planting is 
done by hand; some farmers plant the whole potato and others cut 
them and plant only parts of potatoes. The demand for potato 
planters is very limited and the cup machine is preferred to the 
picker-type machine. Two of the most important houses in Buenos 
Aires report the sale of 50 to 75 machines a year, while others do not 
even try to sell the machine. As in many of our Southern States, 
very fine potatoes can be grown, but as a rule they will not keep long. 
Planting begins in August and harvesting in February and March. 

CULTIVATORS. 

In the great alfalfa fields disk harrows are widely used for culti¬ 
vating. Next in importance is the 6^-foot drag-bar cultivator, 
having 13 drag bars each carrying narrow, double-pointed, reversible 
shovels. In this machine the shovels are attached to independent 
drag bars, each supplied with a pressure spring. The drag bars are 
arranged so they have a lateral movement, which prevents the shovels 
from splitting the alfalfa crowns and causing decay. The wheels are 
40 inches in diameter with concave tires. A two-horse evener and 
neck yoke are part of the regular equipment. A seeder attachment 
is often called for, so that new seed can be sown in parts of the field 
where the stand is not heavy enough. 

This cultivator has been sold only in small lots in Argentina but is 
an implement which should be in the hands of every farmer who 
raises alfalfa. A more determined effort should be made to acquaint 
farmers with the value of the implement as an aid in killing weeds in 
alfalfa fields. For that purpose the machine has no equal, but com¬ 
paratively few farmers have any idea of what it will accomplish. 
There is no doubt that many could be sold if the same attention were 
given to them as is given to the sale of other implements. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


59 


CORN CULTIVATORS. 

Until recent years corn was extensively cultivated in Argentina 
with small walking plows or with middle-breaker plows, and results 
were far from satisfactory. Within the last six years the demand for 
a more efficient cultivator of greater capacity led importing houses 
and factory representatives to give considerable time and attention 
to the construction of a single-row cultivator. The cultivator of this 
type is called a two-row cultivator in Argentina for the reason that 
it straddles one row of corn and cultivates two middles; that is, the 
middle between the straddled row and the next row on each side of it. 
The most satisfactory machine is an adjustable arch, pivotal axle, 
riding cultivator. The seat should have an adjustable position close 
to the axle line so as to entirely eliminate complicated devices for 
balancing the weight of the operator against that of the tongue and 
the raising of the gangs or rigs against the tongue. A pendant 
hitch is a very desirable feature, as it enables the operator to adjust 
the draft to suit different soil conditions and in all cases to get it as 
close to the beam as possible. 

Among the beams or rigs used by different manufacturers one type 
in particular is very popular in a large part of the corn belt. The 
rig is a square pipe beam carried straight back from its support to a 
position a little to the rear of the wheel of the cultivator. At this 
point the right beam is bent to the right and the left beam to the 
left, both being carried rearward and out to a point well to the rear 
of and outside the wheels of the cultivator. A strong shank and 
clamp for each beam, each carrying a crucible 18-inch sweep, is pro¬ 
vided for cultivating the corn. 

When the corn reaches a growth which makes unnecessary further 
cultivation for the purpose of killing weeds, the sweeps are removed 
and 8-incli middle breakers, with moldboard extensions and 10-inch 
crucible shares, are substituted. The middle breakers are required 
to take the same shank as the sweeps and are used for la}dng-by the 
corn. The middle-breaker bottoms should be adjustable, so as to 
enable the operator to give the bottoms more or less “suck” accord¬ 
ing to the soil. Each bottom must be provided with one extra 12-inch 
crucible share. 

This type of machine has become so popular that efforts are being 
made to build a similar cultivator which will cultivate three middles 
at one time in place of only two. With the exception of a rear 
third wheel to carry the seat, the addition of another rig and bottom, 
a wider frame, and possibly a little heavier construction, the general 
construction and equipment of the new machine will be the same. 
With the old machine a pole and two-horse hitch were supplied. 
With the new machine a combination pole and shafts and a combi¬ 
nation three or four horse hitch will be furnished. More than 3,500 
cultivators of this type are annually sold in Argentina and the 
demand will increase from year to year. 

Disk cultivators and walking cultivators are not sold, nor is there 
any demand for them. Cultivators known to the trade in the United 
States as two-row cultivators are not popular, though they have been 
introduced and efforts have been made to build up a demand for 
them. 


60 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


SLED CULTIVATORS. 

The light inexpensive sled cultivator is the most popular one for 
listed corn. In construction the machine does not differ in any way 
from the cultivator of this type generally sold throughout the United 
States. Weed knives, usually furnished at extra cost, are not 
required for the Argentine trade. Bearings should be dust and sand 
proof and runners should be made of well-seasoned wood which will 
not soon warp out of shape. The cultivator should he made in a 
manner which will permit of its being completely knocked down, 
even to the disk gangs, for packing five machines to a case. The 
disks should he taken apart and nested in order to save space. 

On large estates single and even double row listed corn cultivators 
of more expensive construction are being purchased. The purchases 
of these more expensive machines are confined to estates where the 
practice of listing corn has been followed for several years. The 
number of these is not great, but is bound to grow rapidly. 

SMALL CULTIVATORS. 

In the vineyards, in some of the cane fields, and in a few of the 
truck gardens five and seven tooth cultivators are used. The number 
sold, relatively speaking, is very small in comparison with the num¬ 
ber sold for the same purpose in similar areas in the United States. 
The most popular five-tooth cultivator is one equipped with expand¬ 
ing lever, gauge wheel, and liorse-hoe attachment. Seven-tooth 
cultivators with the same equipment are also sold, and while only 
the American implement of this type is sold in quantities, the trade 
is unimportant. 

HAY TOOLS. 

Mowers are sold in large numbers by all importers of implements. 
A new mower recently brought out has some very novel features. 
To at once provide a mower suitable for use with either horses or 
oxen a new frame was designed which gives place for two different 
settings for the pole, one alongside the other. When the pole is used 
in one setting for horses the other setting is covered with a neatly 
designed and easily removable tool-box cover and oil-can holder. 
The recess in the frame provides the tool box proper. If the pole is 
moved to the other setting the first one can be used in a like manner 
for the tools and oil can. 

xinother feature which has been the object of much favorable com¬ 
ment by interested people in this country is a new drop-forged knife 
head. Both wood and steel pitmans are in use and are sold, but it 
is generally conceded that a well-seasoned wooden pitman gives 
better satisfaction than any other type. Mowers are regular^ fur¬ 
nished with two knives. An adjustable, rotary, single-wheel tongue 
support equipped with a cushion spring is supplied at an extra 
price. 

Mower sizes range from 3$, 4J, and 5 foot light type to 4J, 5, 6, 
and 7 foot heavy type. Extra heavy sickle bars with one saw-edge 
knife are supplied on special orders for cutting heavy weeds like 
Canadian thistle, etc. It might be worth while to again draw the 
attention of the reader to the fact that very little hay of any kind, 
other than alfalfa, is raised. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


61 


Alfalfa grows rapidly and is thick and heavy. It often has to be 
cut in very hot weather, and unless ample lubrication is provided 
for all bearings there is a. tendency to overheat. Any construction 
of the working parts which takes into consideration the fact that 
much of the alfalfa land is very gritty and sandy, and which provides 
against wear under those conditions, will claim more than ordinary 
attention. 

HAY RAKES. 

The popular rake in Argentina is the American self-dump rake, 
heavy enough and strong enough to handle alfalfa. Side-delivery 
rakes are not popular and the demand is very limited. The popular 
sizes are 8, 9, 10, and 12 foot sizes. 

All of the features embodied in rakes in the United States are 
found in rakes supplied to the Argentine trade. Chief among these 
are the reversible stub axle, heavy release spring on the locking 
device, and heavy double-coil, oil-tempered, pencil-point teeth. 

TEDDERS. 

Tedders have been introduced and sold in Argentina, but the 
demand for them hardly warrants carrying a stock on hand. 

STACKERS. 

Generally speaking, hay, consisting mostly of alfalfa, is stacked 
out of doors. Only on the large estates, where particular attention 
is given to breeding fancy prize cattle, and very rarely even then, is 
hay stored in barns. At the present time alfalfa is generally cut 
with mowers, raked and cured m haycocks, and then hauled to the 
stack, where it is stacked by very simple stackers, often made on 
the farms. Many farmers do not use stackers, but build a stack as 
high as the alfalfa can be pitched from the ground or load. A plat¬ 
form is then built alongside the stack onto which alfalfa is pitched 
and from there again pitched onto the stack to complete it. Hay 
loaders are not used, but no doubt they will come into use for han¬ 
dling green alfalfa for silage purposes, as is explained under the 
heading, “ Silos and silage cutters.” 

A stacker now on sale in the Argentine market and which has 
attracted considerable attention, owing to the fact that it was 
originally designed in that country and seems to meet every require¬ 
ment, presents great possibilities if it could be made and sold at a 
lower price than is possible at the present time. The main frame is 
made of galvanized angle steel. The material is the same as that 
used in windmill-tower construction. The main frame, mounted on 
wheels for easy transport, is about 10 by 15 feet at the bottom. The 
tower rapidly narrows until there is a space not more than 1 foot 
square, some 20 to 24 feet abo^e the ground. A main mast runs 
up through the center of the tower and is carried about 3 feet above 
it. The main mast has a set of bearings near its upper extremity 
which run on a track on top of the tower and permits the operator 
to swing the mast- to any position in a complete circle. A boom is 
secured to the main mast above the tower and can be raised or 
lowered and swung around with the mast. A hay fork on the end 
of the boom takes care of the hay. With one horse hitched to the 


62 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


end of a rope which runs up the main mast and follows the boom to 
the fork, a large quantity of hay can he easily and quickly raised, 
swung around to any position, and deposited on the stack. The 
stacker has a lifting capacity of 0.3 ton. The stacker is patented in 
Argentina and is now built by a prominent American windmill 
manufacturer. 

HAY-BALING PRESSES. 

Nearly every type of hay-baling press manufactured is sold in 
Argentina. Among them are horsepower, belt, and combined motor 
presses. The motor presses use gasoline as fuel. Belt-power presses 
are often operated by gasoline engines, but more often by s‘eam 
thrashing engines. The latter are found in great numbers distributed 
all over the country, are both portable and traction types, and often, 
when no longer of service for heavy thrashers, are used to operate 
baling presses and other light machinery. 

The 14 by 18 inch baling chamber is the most popular size. It is 
difficult to estimate the value of the Argentine market as to volume. 
Hay for export is always baled, but the crop varies considerably, 
depending on the amount of rainfall. In a dry year when pastures 
fail a much greater quantity is needed for home consumption than 
when there is plenty of rain and good pasturage. 

Argentine statistics for the calendar year 1915 show that the total 
weight of hay-baling presses of all kinds imported was 162,641 pounds. 
This is smaller by 230,688 pounds than the total for 1914. The total 
weight rather than the number of units is given for the reason that 
duty is assessed on a weight basis. 

Owing to the number of steam engines available, the demand is 
greater for belt presses than for motor presses. The only competition 
the manufacturer desiring to enter the trade would have would come 
from other American manufacturers. 

HARVESTING MACHINERY. 

The thousands upon thousands of acres of land yearly devoted to 
the cultivation of wheat, linseed, oats, and other small grains, the 
large size of individual holdings, and the scarcity of farm laborers 
have all contributed toward creating a big demand for harvesting 
machinery. American manufacturers supply over 90 per cent of 
the total importations of harvesting machinery and 99 per cent of the 
binder twine. Binders and header binders in small lots are imported 
from Canada, which, together with stripper harvesters from Aus¬ 
tralia, form the only foreign competition. Statistics compiled bv the 
United States Department of Commerce show that the value of 
reapers and mowers exported to Argentina in recent fiscal years was 
as follows: 1911, $991,227; 1912, $2,259,821; 1913, $1,650,688; 1914, 
$1,102,499; 1915, $412,289. Exports of binder twine to Argentina in 
the same years were: 1911, 15,834,700 pounds; 1912, 27,884,581 
pounds; 1913, 28,121,008 pounds; 1914, 13,632,648 pounds: 1915, 
3,579,095 pounds. 

In parts of the south and in the Province of Buenos Aires the de¬ 
mand is for 7 and 8 foot binders. In other parts of the south and in 
the west the 12-foot header is more commonly used. In general, the 
most popular machine is the 12-foot combined header binder. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


63 


BINDERS. 

For many years the 8-foot left-hand hinder was in great favor, but 
recently the right-hand machine has been introduced and extensively 
sold. Binders of 7 or 8 foot cut do not differ from similar machines 
sold in many parts of the United States. The 8-foot machine is the 
most popular and is regularly supplied with flax attachment or bundle 
carrier. No reduction in price is made if the machine is wanted 
without either of these attachments. Eight-foot machines are regu¬ 
larly supplied with tongue trucks and eveners, but without transport 
trucks, which are not required. 

In packing for export the binder attachment is shipped in a strong 
crate strapped with iron, the bull wheel separately, without box or 
crate but with the hub protected by strips of wood ; the poles are put 
in crates each containing 5 or 10 poles, depending on the number of 
machines shipped at one time; main evener bars also in crates con¬ 
taining 5 or 10; the bundle carrier in a separate box, and the rest of 
the machine knocked down in a strong well-strapped box. 

COMMON HEADERS. 

Common right-hand headers are furnished in the 12-foot size and 
are used extensively in districts where the grain does not ripen too 
rapidly or have a tendency to shell out too soon after it is ripe. 
These machines are regularly supplied with a long 8^-foot elevator or 
with a short elevator and flax attachment. When wanted with short 
elevator, but without flax attachment a reduction in price is made. 
At an extra price the machine is furnished with a folding 9-foot ele¬ 
vator and flax attachment, or with 9-foot folding elevator without 
flax attachment. Special long 10-foot elevators, 9-foot folding ele¬ 
vators convertible into short elevators, short elevators convertible 
into 9-foot elevators, and flax attachments are carried in stock and 
can be supplied for any machines originally purchased without these 
attachments. 

COMBINED HEADERS. 

Combined header binders are more popular than any other type. 
They can be used as a common header when the condition of the 
grain permits it to be handled without binding it, or the binder attach¬ 
ment can easily be attached and used when it is desirable to bind the 
grain. The conib ined header is regularly supplied with binder attach¬ 
ment, and a bundle carrier is furnished at an extra price. When used 
as a header only, without the binder attachment, it js equipped with an 
8H°°t elevator, with a 9-foot folding long elevator, with or without 
flax attachment, or with a short elevator with or without flax attach¬ 
ment. Separate attachments carried in stock and which may be 
applied to the combined machine originally purchased without them, 
consist of the following: Binder attachment; long 9-foot folding ele¬ 
vator, with or without flax attachment; short elevator, with or without 
flax attachment ; and flax attachment for the long elevator or for the 
short elevator. 

In shipping common headers or combined header binders the bare 
machine without any of the various attachments is packed in a con¬ 
venient number of cases and crates. All the different attachments 
enumerated above are packed separately, so that one or any number 


64 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


of any of them can be separated from a large shipment without open¬ 
ing cases and crates and running the risk of short shipping some of the 
parts. 

STRIPPER HARVESTERS AND CUTTER HARVESTERS. 

In the great southern and western grain-grow r ing districts, where 
the grain ripens slowly, many Australian stripper harvesters have 
been sold. These machines, of 7 or 8 foot cut, strip the heads of grain 
off the stalk and elevate them to a thrashing cylinder, where the 
grain is thrashed and cleaned. The clean grain falls into a large 
deposit or bagging attachment which fills grain sacks carried on a 
platform. American machines of this type and also Canadian ma¬ 
chines have been sold in varying numbers in Argentina. The Aus¬ 
tralian machine was the first one in the field, and owing to an aggres¬ 
sive sales campaign on the part of the manufacturer, has probably 
been more generally sold than any other. 

A new machine, the product of American factories, will no doubt 
take the place of these machines as soon as if is perfected. The new 
machine, a cutter harvester, cuts the heads of grain off the stalk in 
place of stripping or pulling them off. In this respect and also be¬ 
cause it has greater capacity the new machine is better than the old 
type. In many sections of Argentina the stripper harvester will 
often pull the grain up by the roots, especially where the soil is light 
and sandy; when this happens'the comb of the stripper is likely to 
chock and cause some delay. The comb is also very apt to shell out 
a portion of the heads it comes in contact with. This trouble is never 
experienced with the cutter harvester. The new machine is an im¬ 
provement on the large-capacity header binder and is destined to 
figure largely in the Argentine trade as soon as minor changes in con¬ 
struction have been completed. With it harvesting and thrashing 
are completed in one operation, saving time and money. It may be 
argued that some grain is lost in the process of cutting and thrashing, 
and, to a certain extent, that is no doubt true. It is equally true/ 
however, that some grain is lost in cutting in the old way, hauling 
grain to the stack and thrashing it. It is believed that the new 
cutter harvester effects a real saving in grain over the old process. 
The cutter harvester has gone through the experimental stages, some 
machines with and some without auxiliary gasoline engines for power. 
It is the consensus of opinion that auxiliary engines should not be 
used until farmers in general become more familiar with handling 
and repairing them. 

CORN HARVESTER. 

One of the greatest needs in the Argentine implement world to-day 
is a successful corn picker or harvester. With more than ten and 
one-third millions of acres of land devoted to corn cultivation and 
yielding abundantly the annual task of gathering the harvest is an 
enormous one. American pickers have been tried, and possibly more 
than a score, of every description, have been built and experimented 
with in the country itself, but none has been successful. 

The light nature of the soil in the well-cultivated corn fields does 
not give a base firm enough to resist the tractive effort of the Amer¬ 
ican machines that were tried. None of these machines was equipped 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


65 


with an auxiliary^ gasoline engine to operate the machinery, and all 
had to rely wholly on the efforts of horses or oxen hitched to the 
machine for power. If the drive wheels slipped on account of the 
lightness of the soil, the machine chocked and was not given any 
further consideration. It is thought that a machine equipped with a 
gasoline engine to furnish the power might solve the problem, but no 
one can say to what extent farmers would be able to manage the 
engines, as they are not familiar with their operation. If competent 
operators had to be sent out with every machine to assemble it and 
start it and then be within easy reach if anything happened to delay 
the work, it is possible the machines would have to be sold at pro¬ 
hibitive prices. Only an experiment can determine definitely what 
can be done in this line. If successful, the possibilities in the way of 
getting a large volume of business are flattering indeed. 

POTATO HARVESTERS. 

The demand for potato diggers is very limited, as most of the 
farmers who raise potatoes for their own use simply plow the potatoes 
out with a walking plow. The few potato diggers carried in stock are 
ordinary elevator diggers, without vine turning or bagging attach¬ 
ments. When Argentina more nearly supplies the home demand for 
potatoes, and when they are more largely raised for commercial pur¬ 
poses, there ought to be some interesting developments in the potato- 
machinery line. At present hardly anything is being done nor are 
there any signs of an early change. 

WINDMILLS AND PUMPS. 

The demand for windmills in Argentina is probably greater in pro¬ 
portion to the number 6f inhabitants than in any other part of the 
world. Only steel mills are sold. Some of the large houses think 
nothing of selling 450 complete mills and towers a month. All the 
imported mills are of American manufacture and only an unimportant 
quantity is made in the country. Six, eight, ten, and twelve foot mills 
are sold in large numbers. The length of stroke usually required is 8 
inches; a longer stroke than 9 inches is not in demand. Hundreds of 
mills are annually sold in the immediate vicinity of Buenos Aires, in 
Rosario and its suburbs, and in all the other cities and towns through¬ 
out the country. Very few municipalities have waterworks systems, 
hence there is a great demand for windmills. On the very large 
estates and cattle ranches there are often more than a dozen windmills 
situated in different parts of the estate. Naturally these require con¬ 
stant attention, as they are at work almost continuously throughout 
the year pumping water for the cattle. 

A mill recently introduced, and one which is bound to have an 
enormous sale, owing to the fact that it requires little attention, is so 
constructed that the gears run in a deposit containing sufficient oil for 
a year. Any mill thus equipped, or one having self-lubricating bear¬ 
ings, will make an instant appeal to the suburban resident and planter 
alike. Winds are continual throughout the year in most sections of 
the country. The maximum wind velocity during storms is 74 miles 
per hour. The average wind velocity is about 18 miles per hour. 

59835°—16 - 5 


66 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


Towers of the four-post type range in height from 20 to 60 feet and, 
generally speaking, are similar in every respect to steel towers sold 
throughout Iowa and Illinois. 

Argentina is a very promising field for manufacturers of steel wind¬ 
mills and towers. It is a class of business which does not have to 
rely on kindred lines to insure success, except that a full line of pumps, 
cylinders, piping, and accessories must be carried or a large volume of 
business can not be done. Statistics for the calendar year 1915, com¬ 
piled by the Argentine Government, show that the total weight of 
importations of mills, with or without towers and pumps, was 
7,779,781 pounds. Units are not given, as duty is assessed on a 
weight basis. Duty is $0,027 per kilo (27 per cent on a valuation 
of $0.10 per kilo). Figures compiled by the United States Depart¬ 
ment of Commerce give the value of windmill exportations to Argen¬ 
tina as follows: 1911, $1,158,148; 1912, $1,072,489; 1913, $558,146; 
1914, $668,002; 1915, $259,208. 

Eight and ten foot mills and 20 to 40 foot towers are most used. 
Every type of American hand, lift, force, windmill, belted-power, and 
some direct-connected pumps are sold in the Argentine market. 
These are required for use in dug, drilled, and driven wells. Direct- 
connected gasoline engines and power pumps are salable, but among 
power pumps belted-power pumps are more in demand. 

In many sections of the country water is found at a depth of 12 to 
20 feet below the surface. For household purposes the water is forced 
to a galvanized tank placed in a tower or on an adjoining building 
and from there piped to different parts of the house. On ranches 
large low tanks set on the ground, oiten 30 to 40 feet in diameter and 
about 4 feet high, contain the water for the cattle. There are other 
sections of the country, particularly in some parts of the western dis¬ 
tricts as one approaches the Andes Mountains, where water can be 
had only by drilling to a very great depth. 

To give a comprehensive report covering the entire country would 
require devoting from six to eight months’ time to this subject alone 
ana would necessitate much traveling. There is a big field for 
expansion, and a business devoted to supplying windmills, pumps, 
piping, and accessories would have a large and profitable field of 
action in Argentina. 


WAGONS AND FARM TRUCKS. 

The American type of farm wagon is not sold in Argentina, and it is 
doubtful if it will ever be possible to sell wagons approaching it in 
likeness of construction. During 1913, the last year for which figures 
on wagons are available, only 54 were imported, 52 coming from the 
United States and 2 from the United Kingdom. Nine-tenths of 
Argentina is a vast undulating plain, almost dead level, without even 
fair country roads. Individual holdings in the country are, as a rule, 
very large, and there is an enormous amount of grain to be transported 
from fields to railway stations, often many miles away. The farmer, 
being anxious to market his grain almost as soon as it is thrashed, 
requires wagons of 5, 6, or even more tons capacity. The light nature 
of the soil composing what roads exist, over which these heavy loads 
have to pass, cause long depressions to be worn in them, which often 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


67 


fill with water, forming lagoons several hundred feet long. To pass 
through such roads wagons have to be equipped with very high wheels, 
sometimes 8 to 12 feet high. At times, in order to get a wagon out 
of one of the water holes, the driver has to turn sharp around, farther 
than would be possible with our type of wagon having a reach, and 
for this reason a wagon with a reach which would not permit the 
front wheels to swing around under the wagon bed can not be sold in 
the rural districts. Likewise, in the cities, many of the streets are 
very narrow, and a full-turn-under wagon is the only one that can be 
turned around. 

In all cities and towns and even in the farming districts there are 
small shops where wagons are made. In Buenos Aires there is an 
up-to-date factory, equipped with the latest machinery, where every 
type of wagon and cart can be constructed. This is the factory of 
E. Noe & Co., and there are many others well equipped but run on a 
smaller scale. There is an abndance of good hardwood in many parts 
of the country, which furnishes the material, except the axles. Steel 
for axles is imported from the United States, and in normal times 
from Europe also. 

Even were it not for the great difference in construction, American 
manufacturers could not compete with the native small shops. 
Cost of transportation is the greatest drawback and represents a large 
percentage of the value of a wagon. Implement dealers do not 
handle wagons as they generally do in the United States. Even if 
manufacturers in the United States were to duplicate Argentine 
construction, and provided transportation costs were very low, it is 
doubtful if any firm would care to stock wagons in sufficient numbers 
to make it worth while to the manufacturer. It is the consensus of 
opinion that any time given to trying to develop a demand for 
American farm wagons and trucks in Argentina is wasted. There is 
every indication that present conditions will prevail for generations. 
Two-wheeled wagons are built in 1, 1£, 2, 2J, 3, and 3J ton sizes. 
Four-wheeled wagons are built in the same sizes and in 4, 4 J, 5, 5 J, 6, 
and 6^ ton sizes. The very large grain wagons used in the country 
are often hung with metal stars, crescents, and other symbols of 
legendary value to the drivers and helpers who accompany them. 

CARRIAGES AND PLEASURE VEHICLES. 

Ever since the country emerged from its stage as a colony the 
four-wheeled victoria has been the popular pleasure vehicle in the 
cities and towns throughout the Republic. The full-turn-under 
victoria, with slip tongue and full leather top, is most generally used. 
Nearly all of these carriages are made in the country, axles and 
springs being imported from France and the United States, and on 
account of the high import duty they could not very well be imported 
complete. For country use the popular American surrey at one time 
was in great demand. The advent of low-priced motor cars has 
changed all this and it is expected that the demand will become 
smaller and smaller, gradually dying out entirely. 

The American two-wheeled cart early became very popular and is 
sold in great numbers in all parts of the country. These carts, of 
many different types, some with and some without tops, are sold at 


68 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


retail at prices ranging from $57 to $180. The cheaper light carts, 
nearly always furnished in the natural wood finish, find no competi¬ 
tion. Of recent years many small shops have sprung up in every 
part of the Republic where the more expensive types have been 
successfully duplicated. Importations of complete carts from the 
United States have suffered on this account, but as the wheels and 
axles of all carts manufactured in the country are bought in the 
United States no serious loss has been sustained. Wheels on these 
carts are either 50, 52, or 54 inches high. The more expensive types 
are always fitted with lamps for burning candles, and with cushions 
and top to match the finish of the wood, either black or natural wood 
finish. Some of the cheaper types, especially those constructed for 
farmers, have a good-sized box hung under the seat for carrying 
anything the farmer wants to take to town or bring home. 

MANURE SPREADERS. 

Owing to the custom of permitting animals to run loose in large 
runs or pastures, where manures can not be saved, there is no demand 
for manure spreaders in Argentina. A very limited number, probably 
not more than a dozen, have been sold, but until farming practices 
undergo a radical change there will never be anything but an occa¬ 
sional call for spreaders. 

LAND ROLLERS. 

The value of the use of a land roller, especially in the linseed and 
small grain districts, has long been known to the Argentine farmer 
and many cylinder rollers, made in the country, have been sold. 

Recently American-made land rollers and soil pulverizers have 
been introduced by two of the leading implement importers and it is 
expected that quite a volume of business will develop, especially 
with reference to the corrugated roller and pulverizer, which is made 
in sections and which can be knocked down and compactly prepared 
for export shipment. The solid cylinder roller made up of steel sheets 
formed into a cylinder will not be so popular. This type will have to 
be shipped without riveting the outside sheets to the frame, as that 
can be done in Argentina, and a great saving in freight will be effected 
by sending the sheets loose and a sufficient number of rivets to rivet 
them in place. In punching or drilling holes in the cylinder sheets 
these should be slotted, so there will be no difficulty in quickly fitting 
the sheets in place. 

WINNOWERS. 

During the period 1909 to 1913 a total of 2,240 winnowers were 
imported into Argentina. Of these 1,165 came from the United 
States, 610 from the United Kingdom, 369 from Germany, and the 
balance from various other countries. The demand is for a moderate- 
priced winnower of substantial construction. Grains to be cleaned 
comprise wheat, linseed, oats, barley, and especially alfalfa. Great 
difficu ty has been experienced in securing a machine which will 
separate wild mustard seed from alfalfa seed. The two seeds are of 
about the same size and weight and any machine which will suc¬ 
cessfully separate them can be sold in large numbers. 


MARKETS IK ARGENTINA. 


69 


FEED GRINDERS. 

Generally speaking, the custom of grinding feed for live stock does 
not prevail in Argentina. Only on very large ranches where much 
attention is paid to breeding fine cattle is there any demand for 
ground feed. Practically no ear corn is crushed or ground, nor is it 
necessary to furnish a mill that will grind feed and also grind fine 
enough for table use. There is a big demand, principally among the 
Italian inhabitants, for a machine which will grind fine enough for 
table use. The principal objection to mills of this kind which have 
already been marketed in Argentina is that the capacity is greater 
than there is any need for and that too much power is required to 
operate them. 

The branch house of a large American implement concern has 
recently begun importing stone mills and is of the opinion that these 
will be more in demand than mills with iron burrs. Most mills with 
iron burrs have several sets or combinations of burrs, and to get good 
results the proper combination must be used. Little is known in the 
country regarding these different combinations, and it often happens 
that the mills are used in a way which rapidly wears out the burrs. 
Replacement is a big item of expense and will account for the small 
demand for this type of machine. 

Corn and oats are the only grains ground. Motive power is gener¬ 
ally furnished by gasoline engines, many of which, of 6 horsepower 
and under, are used for pumping water. So far as one can determine, 
most of the feed mills now supplied require 6-horsepower engines or 
even larger to maintain their capacity. A farmer who wants a mill 
to grind fine enough for table use does not want to purchase a mill 
requiring that size engine. Sweep mills are known but are not 
popular. The total annual sale of sweep mills in the entire Republic 
will not exceed 200. 

Referring again to mills with iron burrs, it would seem that manu¬ 
facturers now supplying them should make every effort to put 
complete direction sheets for their use, written in Spanish, in each 
case containing a mill. Nearly all the mills handled are of American 
manufacture. 

HORSE POWERS. 

The demand for horse powers in Argentina is very limited, probably 
not more than 200 annually being sold, according to the most reliable 
estimates. These are used chiefly for small corn shelters of one or 
two holes and for very small individual thrashing machines. Prac¬ 
tically no mounted powers are sold. Down powers (unmounted) are 
furnished in three sizes, one horse, two horse, and four horse. One- 
horse powers should be furnished with two speeds, 22 or 23 to one 
and 7 or 8 to one. The shaft providing the greatest number of revo¬ 
lutions to one turn of the horses should be carried through the frame 
so that the coupling engaging a tumbling rod can be placed on either 
end of the shaft to get a forward and a rearward motion. Two- 
horse powers should be built along the same general lines, but a greater 
speed should be provided, about 53 or 56 revolutions of the shaft to 
one turn of the horses. The same remarks will apply to four-horse 
powers. 


70 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


CORN SHELLERS. 

More than 10,000,000 acres of land are devoted to corn cultivation 
in Argentina. An overwhelming percentage of each year’s crop is 
exported in the form of shelled corn. The total value of corn ex¬ 
ported in 1875 was $3,714; in 1913 the value had increased to $112,- 
292,394; on account of conditions arising out of the European war it 
fell in 1915 to $93,475,450. Exports were distributed as follows: 
United Kingdom, 17.4 per cent; the Netherlands, 6.2 per cent; Italy, 
3.5 per cent; France, 3.3 per cent; United States, 2.1 per cent; 
Spain, 1.7 per cent; other countries, 2.6 per cent; shipped “for 
orders,” 63.2 per cent. 

A very large part of the corn is shelled by large cylinder shellers 
which go from farm to farm in the corn district, as in many parts of 
the United States. 

HAND AND SMALL POWER SHELLERS. 

The most popular type of small sheller is a one-hole sheller, operated 
by hand, having about 300 to 370 revolutions per minute. The 
sheller must be equipped with a fan and feed table and irons for 
handling small corn. The most economical way of packing is to 
place five complete machines in one strong case. The case should be 
strapped with iron straps and the machines braced in such a way 
that none of the castings will be broken. 

Another machine in high favor is a somewhat larger machine with 
a capacity of 880 to 1,500 pounds of shelled corn per hour. This is a 
two-hole hand or power sheller and should have a velocity of about 
350 to 410 revolutions of the flywheel per minute, and 80 to 110 revo¬ 
lutions of the flywheel shaft per minute. Regular equipment con¬ 
sists of crank, fan, feed table, and a 10 by 3 inch power pulley. The 
machine is used in Argentina either with a one-horse down power or 
with a gasoline engine of 2 horsepower. The machine must be capable 
of perfectly shelling and cleaning short ears of smooth-grained corn, 
rather large in diameter at the butt and small and tapered at the tip. 
This sheller is often used with a double-sacking attachment but never 
with a long wagon-box elevator. In order to get away from expensive 
construction, cleaning screens of zinc or wire should not be used. 
Special attention must be given to the construction and location of 
the fan so the blast created by it will be sufficient to free the corn 
from small pieces of cob. There is an annual sale for more than 
5,000 shellers of the one and two hole types just described. Nearly 
all the shellers of these two types come from the United States. Only 
an insignificant number have been received from other countries. 

A machine for which there is a considerable demand is a two-hole 
self-feed sheller, equipped with a 10 by 6 inch pulley, double-sacking 
elevator, cob stacker, and fan. Machines of this type have a capacity 
of from 1,700 to 2,200 pounds of shelled corn per hour, are provided 
with zinc screens for cleaning, and are furnished either with or with¬ 
out a two-horse down power. When used with gasoline engines a 
3-horsepower engine gives sufficient power and the most satisfactory 
flywheel speed is between 590 and 600 revolutions per minute. 

Another sheller in great demand has same general construction as 
the one just described, but with a capacity of from 2,200 to 3,000 


MARKETS IK ARGENTINA. 


71 


pounds of shelled corn per hour. This sheller has a flywheel speed of 
735 revolutions per minute, is somewhat heavier in construction, and 
more attention has been given to the finish of its different parts and 
equipment. The machine comes complete with fan, self-feeder, 10 by 
6 inch pulley, cob stacker, and adjustable zinc screens. The two 
shellers just described are also sold as mounted shellers, with or 
without powers. There has been much complaint that manufac¬ 
turers supplying mounted shellers do not provide for enough clear¬ 
ance under the sheller; this ought to be not less than 14 inches. The 
wheels of the truck should have strong, broad tires not less than 4 
inches wide. 

CYLINDER POWER SHELLERS. 

A field which is still open to manufacturers, and one which is very 
promising by reason of the fact that it has not been generally ex¬ 
ploited, is to he found in cylinder corn shellers. Many machines of 
both English and American make have been sold in the Argentine 
market for many years. None of them has enjoyed popularity as a 

f eneral-purpose machine because none has been built which will 
an die Argentine corn under all conditions. There are years when 
an abundance of rain favors the corn during the growing season and 
produces large ears of smooth-grained corn. More often than not 
under these conditions the corn, and especially the cob, is very moist 
•when it has to be shelled. Most manufacturers have recognized this 
fact and have, equipped their machines in such a way that they will 
handle corn in that condition. On the other hand, during a year of 
scanty rainfall it nearly always happens that a prolonged drought 
during the growing season stunts the ear of corn and a large per¬ 
centage of the ears will not be more than 5 or 6 inches long and with a 
cob less than an inch in diameter. Under these conditions both 
grain and cob are generally dry and the cob is quite tough. The 
grain is short and smooth and almost round. Most of the difficulty 
which has been experienced with cylinder shellers is caused through 
the inability of the operator to adjust the machine to take these small 
very dry ears and shell them properly. Too many of the cobs are 
broken and the parts fall into the cleaned corn. Cobs are of great 
value in Argentina, as most of the farming country is a vast open 
plain without fuel of any kind. 

A cylinder corn sheller which will properly shell and clean anything: 
from popcorn to large-eared moist corn would fill a long-felt want. 
A good cylinder sheller would find a ready sale in two sizes—a ma¬ 
chine having a capacity of 6,000 to 8,000 pounds of shelled corn an 
hour for the farmer wdio shells his own corn and perhaps that of two 
or three of his neighbors, and a machine having a capacity of 1,000 
to 1,500 bushels an hour for the man who makes a business of shelling; 
possibly there would be a demand for a size between the two just 
mentioned. 

In designing a cylinder sheller for the Argentine market the first 
point to be considered is a substantial, well-braced frame, mounted 
on a heavy truck with wide-tire steel wheels and plenty of clearance 
under the machine. Strictly speaking, in the rural districts there 
are no roads over which a heavy machine can travel without great 
difficulty. During dry weather there is from 5 to 8 inches of fine 


72 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

dust or sand on the surface of the roads, and during wet weather 
heavy high-wheeled wagons wear deep ruts in them. All shaft¬ 
bearing boxes must be split boxes, so that wdien one-half becomes 
worn it will not be necessary to buy a whole new boxing. Trans¬ 
mission of power must be through shafts or belts; chain transmission 
is not desirable, as there is great difficulty in getting repairs if chains 
break. The machine easiest to sell in Argentina is one in wffiich the 
working parts are accessible; the cylinder cage and the ejector fan 
housings, the gears, and the sieves must be accessible. If a foreign 
substance lodges in ahy one of these places, or if any of their com¬ 
ponent parts are broken, it should be possible to extract the foreign 
substance or make repairs without dismantling the machine. 

Equipment should consist of a 14-foot drag feeder, a cob stacker, 
and a double sacking elevator; long wagon-box elevators are not 
required. All of these attachments should be built so they can be 
conveniently and securely carried when transporting the sheller from 
one place to another. A convenient arrangement for stopping the 
feeder, should the machine become chocked, is very desirable. The 
cylinder hopper into which the corn is delivered from the feeder should 
be of ample dimensions. All sizes of cylinder shellers should have 
two sets of shoes, an upper set and a lower set. Corn sieves should 
be of zinc or sheet steel and be adjustable and easily removable. 
The manufacturer who will build a strong cylinder sheller for hand¬ 
ling Argentine corn, one that will shell all the corn and clean it and 
not break the cob, will win a reputation for himself in. that country 
which will lead to business in other lines he may wish to exploit. 

The boot section of the feeder on all power shellers should be of 
ample capacity. In Argentina the farmers cut a hole in the troja 
(inclosure holding the ear corn), into which the boot section of the 
feeder is run. As the hole is near the bottom of the troja, most of 
the corn falls into the boot section without the necessity of shoveling 
or carrying it. The flights on the elevator conveyor must not be so 
high that they will carry too great a quantity of ear corn to the 
cylinder of the machine. 

THRASHERS. 

In the early days of agricultural development in Argentina the 
farmers used the old-fashioned flail for thrashing the grain. After 
this came the English thrasher and portable engine and finally the 
most modern traction outfits of both English and American manu¬ 
facture. By reason of the fact that the importing houses were often 
working with English capital or were wholly English in character, 
the English machine got an early start and had been sold in large 
numbers and was well known all over the country before much of an 
attempt was made to sell the American machines. Even when an 
American manufacturer of thrashers succeeded in placing his line 
with one of the English houses, the results of such an arrangement, 
owing to the preference given to the English machine, did not as a rule 
result happily. Things went on for some time in this way, and finally 
the American manufacturers decided to open up branch houses for 
the distribution of their product. From one standpoint they ha^e 
been very successful, because they are getting a bigger share of the 
thrasher business with each year that goes by. It is safe to assume 
that they have prospered financially, or the arrangement would have 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


73 


been discontinued. It is generally conceded that the American 
manufacturer of thrashers, more than the manufacturer of any other 
farm machine, can succeed only with his own branch house. 

One feature of the American thrasher which assisted in marketing 
it was the fact that it was equipped with a self-feeder and wind 
stacker, two very necessary attachments, which were not until within 
the last few years found on English machines. It is significant that 
all English thrashers are now equipped with these two attachments. 

Another feature of the American thrasher and one that is rapidly 
turning the trade in its favor is the fact that it has a cylinder which 
is more easy to adjust and balance than the cylinder of an English 
thrasher. The latter has a cylinder on which are secured grooved 
bars, and the grain is thrashed by w T hat might be termed the rubbing 
process. When worn these grooved bars permit a considerable 
quantity of grain to pass out with the straw, where it is lost. If the 
bars become so badly worn that they have to be replaced it is almost 
impossible for anyone bift an expert mechanic to replace them in a 
manner which will insure a perfect balance of the cylinder, without 
which the thrasher can not do good work. A feature of the English 
machine, however, which is very much in its favor is the substantial 
construction of the framework and truck. These are very strong 
and durable and will stand a lot of abuse. 

When feeding grain into an English thrasher, unless the operator 
is careful to spread it out and feed evenly most of the grain is deliv¬ 
ered to the center of the cylinder. The center rubbing bars therefore 
do the most work and become worn to such an extent that they have 
to be replaced. When this happens the expense of having a machin¬ 
ist of experience replace worn rubbing irons is considerable. The 
American thrasher has a cylinder made up of a lot of teeth. Should 
any of them become worn through faulty feeding it is an easy matter 
to replace the worn ones without disturbing the balance of the cyl¬ 
inder, and almost any operator of average intelligence can do the 
work. 

For many years 5 and 5^ foot machines have been in great demand, 
and those sizes were most generally sold. Of late years there has 
been a steadily increasing demand for small-unit thrashers, and these 
are now being sold in large numbers. The most popular small 
thrasher has a 3 or 3 i foot cylinder. These machines are operated 
by portable gasoline engines of 10 horsepower when not equipped 
with self feeders and by 14 horsepower engines when equipped with 
self-feeders. 

Although somewhat slower in taking its place in the Argentine 
market than many other American lines of machinery, the thrasher 
is gradually coming into its own, especially where factory branch sales 
organizations have been established. Further steady growth is 
assured by reason of the fact that there are still large areas of land to 
be brought under cultivation, and the American manufacturer now 
has a better idea of the requirements of the country than ever before. 

THRASHING ENGINES. 

The English houses which so successfully marketed English thrashers 
in every part of the grain-growing districts in Argentina also gave 
much time and attention to the sale of English thrashing engines. 


74 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


At first only portable engines were sold; later these were replaced 
with simple traction engines, and still later with machines having- 
high-pressure boilers and compound engines. 

In many parts of the country the water contains such a high percent¬ 
age of alkali that only copper water tubes can be used, and even these 
do not last as long as the seamless drawn-steel tubes used in engines 
in other parts of the country where there is an abundance of good 
water. English builders early realized that the foundation of a good 
traction thrashing engine is the boiler, consequently the boilers were 
built of thick plates, for high pressure, efficient service, and long life. 
American builders who entered the field were just as quick to recog¬ 
nize that a high-grade engine, even though much higher in price,, 
was the only one to be offered for sale in the Argentine market. 
As engines are allowed to stand out of doors during a great part of 
the year, the desirability of equipping them with canopies which 
completely cover the working parts will at once be appreciated. 

Straw is largely used as a fuel, as it has no value for other purposes. 
Water bottom fire boxes have been supplied by a large number of 
manufacturers, but many of them are now turning to the open bot¬ 
tom fire boxes, especially where the use of water bottom boxes would 
cause a lot of trouble when it is necessary to replace fire-box parts. 
In Argentina individual holdings are very large, and it is often neces¬ 
sary to take water for boilers from ponds along the road; in the newer 
settled parts of the country many of the wells are open dug wells, and 
in either case the water is apt to contain a lot of sediment which bakes 
fast to the boiler plates, unless frequently cleaned out. A number 
of handholes which will enable the operator to quickly clean out the 
boiler by flushing it are essential. In every part of the agricultural 
district the land is gently rolling and there are no steep hills; there¬ 
fore there is no need for a complicated draft adjustment to maintain 
the steam pressure at a certain stage for hill climbing. What is most 
sought after in the Argentine market is a strong, powerful engine, 
built of only the best of materials, with all working parts well finished 
and perfect fitting; an engine whose parts are easily adjustable and 
which are accessible, and one that has a long life even when in the 
hands of a none too competent operator. Special features which 
appeal to the experienced thrasher man in the United States will 
also appeal to the Argentine owner. 

SILOS AND SILAGE CUTTERS. 

Only a limited number of silos have been introduced and sold in 
Argentina, and generally speaking, there are only a few farmers who 
know what a silo is and a smaller number yet who have fed silage to 
their stock. There is no doubt that the feeding of silage for 90 to 
120 days a year would make a lot of money for some of the cattlemen 
and prevent serious and heavy losses which they now often sustain, 
especially in a year of scanty rainfall when many animals are lost 
because of the impossibility of providing food for them. 

A few of the more advanced cattlemen feed what might be termed 
silage but it is neither prepared in the way it is prepared in the United 
States nor are the same crops used. These cattlemen cut alfalfa 
when it is green and immediately stack it without giving it a chance 
to cure. When a stack is finished, earth to the depth of about 5 feet 


MARKETS IN' ARGENTINA. 


75 


is placed on top of the stack to compress the green alfalfa and force 
out all the air. The natural silo thus formed is very inexpensive and 
keeps the green alfalfa in good condition for feeding as long as there 
is any necessity for using it. 

American wood-stave silos have been imported to the number of 
about 15. Some of these were refused by the purchasers for the rea¬ 
son that the lumber used was not seasoned and was so warped out of 
shape as to make erection impossible. This would indicate that the 
metal silo is the only one for the export trade. Once its good points 
become known, the silo is going to have a sale in the Argentine market, 
but without doubt those sold will be made in the country, as large 
quantities of the material are imported every year, and they can be 
constructed here cheaper than they can be brought from the United 
States. Several implement importers in Buenos Aires have imported 
sample silos and have made an honest effort to sell them, but un¬ 
fortunately they have not been very successful. A 100-ton steel 
silo, with silage cutter and an engine to operate the cutter, has to 
be sold for about $1,500 and there are very few people who are willing 
to pay that price. When the value of silage becomes more generally 
known there is no doubt but that large numbers of silos will be sold, 
and American manufacturers will have an opportunity of selling the 
cutters and engines, as these can not be made in Argentina. 

The distribution of literature regarding the preparation and use of 
silage has attracted considerable interest. Many ranchmen have 
very eagerly sought to post themselves regarding the value of silage 
as a feed and how to prepare it and what crops to use. If there is 
any development in the future it is not thought that American manu¬ 
facturers of silos will be benefited, unless they are prepared to furnish 
silage cutters. 

Only a few silage cutters have been sold. These have been of both 
the cylinder and knife-on-flywheel types. Until more of them are in 
use and until they have been more experimented with, it is difficult 
to tell which type will become the most popular. A number of well- 
posted implement men have stated that they seriously doubt the 
advisability of recommending that American manufacturers of silos 
spend money and time in trying to develop a demand for silos. When 
present world-wide conditions which have arisen out of the war in 
Europe have a chance to readjust themselves it is possible that 
another story might be told. Until the war is over and people in 
Argentina know what effect the settlement will have on them, any¬ 
thing new and which requires the outlay of considerable money to 
install will receive very little attention. In the Provinces of Santa 
Fe and Cordoba there will never be much of a demand for silos; the 
market would probably be confined to the Province of Buenos Aires 
and to that part of the pampa bordering the Province of Buenos 
Aires. 

GASOLINE ENGINES. 

TRACTORS. 

Some years ago importers and manufacturers whom they represented 
took a lot of interest in developing a demand for tractors for power 
plowing. Early results with the use of American gasoline tractors 
of 30 to 40 horsepower draw-bar pull were very flattering, and in some 


76 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


years more than 150 tractors were sold. The demand was especially 
great during years of scanty rainfall when the ground was too hard to 
he plowed in the ordinary way with horses or oxen. Since 1912 sales 
have fallen off to such an extent that the total business now done by 
all the houses will not equal that done by one of them prior to that 
time. The greatest difficulty is the cost of gasoline, which now sells at 
about 60 cents a gallon. There is no economy in trying to use kere- 
sene as a fuel, because the heavy import duty and the difference in its 
value as a fuel makes its price about the same as the price of gasoline. 
Generally speaking, power plowing is not carried on to any great 
extent. When a very dry season makes it necessary to use power 
plows steam traction engines usually are employed, as there are large 
numbers in the country and they are cheaper to operate than gasoline 
tractors. During the last plowing season, owing to a long drought 
in the northern part of the pampa region, there was a natural market 
for tractors, but nothing could be done on account of the high cost 
of fuel. It has been stated that a large area of land formerly devoted 
to agriculture will have to go unplowed this year. 

At the present time gasoline tractors can not be used for operating 
thrashers, as it is impossible to bring the cost of fuel low enough to 
allow them to compete with straw-burning steam engines. The build¬ 
ing of country roads has not yet developed sufficiently to make the 
use of the gasoline tractor desirable. If it were possible to influence 
legislation to the extent of lowering the duty on kerosene or entirely 
removing it, the tractor business and also the gas-engine business 
would receive new life; under present conditions very little can be 
done. 

STATIONARY AND PORTABLE ENGINES. 

In Argentina stationary and portable gasoline engines are used for 
pumping water, running corn shellers and small 3-foot thrashers, 
and for operating a varied lot of machinery in blacksmith and small 
machine shops. Their use on farms is not so general as in the United 
States, and, generally speaking, farmers are not used to them nor do 
they understand their operation. In each community there are 
mechanics who do understand the engines and whom the farmers could 
call on for assistance if the price of fuel would permit them to use 
gasoline engines for general farm work. There are two grades of 
fuel widely used in all parts of the country, gasoline testing from 58 
to 63 degrees and a gas oil testing from 29 to 33 degrees on the Baume 
scale. As a rule, however, the two fuels are mixed so as to form a 
fuel testing 44 degrees Baume. The high cost of gasoline, with 
kerosene a very-close second, makes the use of those fuels out of the 
question. Gas oil can not be used alone in any but special engines; 
hence the need for the mixture, which is not as satisfactory as a & good 
grade of kerosene would be, provided it could be had at a reasonable 
price. 

Both vertical and horizontal gasoline engines are sold, but the 
tendency is toward the use of the horizontal engines. Three and 
five horsepower vertical engines, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 14 
horsepower horizontal engines are the most popular sizes. In gaso¬ 
line engines American manufacturers have the largest share of the 
trade, but European and British engines which burn crude oil are 
much more widely sold than the American engine of that type. As 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


77 


in nearly everything he purchases, the farmer or business man in 
Argentina is looking for a high-grade moderate priced engine rather 
than for a cheap one. 

All of the large implement houses handle gasoline engines, but a 
majority of them have signed a convenio or agreement which governs 
the price and regulates the terms on which engines shall be sold and 
the number that may be sent to any one dealer as samples or on 
consignment. As there are a number of small houses which are not 
in the convenio and are not governed by its terms, it is thought that 
possibly they have a better chance of getting a larger share of the 
business than they could do otherwise, and the convenio members, 
while they are all on an equal basis, do not have a wide enough field 
of action under the terms of the convenio. 

If the time ever comes when duties and taxes are removed from 
kerosene or when they are lowered to an extent which will permit 
that fuel to be generally employed in internal-combustion engines, 
there will be a natural market for engines in Argentina, the extent 
and volume of which will be a surprise to those 'who have not had an 
opportunity to give the subject considerable attention. The develop¬ 
ment of the Government owned and operated oil w^ells at Comodoro 
Rivadavia on a larger scale, especially if it resulted in the production 
of a good grade of kerosene that could be marketed at a reasonable 
price, would prove of great benefit to agriculture, because the farmer 
could then use tractors and stationary and portable engines for a 
number of tasks which under present conditions must be done in 
other ways or be left undone. 

The popular type of small gasoline or kerosene engine is one with the 
make-and-break system of ignition and with hit-and-miss governor. 
For operating power corn shelters and small 3-foot thrashers many 
throttle-governing portable engines are sold. Most of these are of 
8, 10, or 14 horsepower. 

Figures compiled by the United States Department of Commerce 
show that the following number of gasoline engines were exported 
to Argentina during fiscal years ended June 30: In 1912, 2,339; 
in 1913, 1,647; in 1914, 1,067. 

Dealers in the interior who sell gasoline engines seldom carry a 
stock and rely entirely on the importer to supply them when there 
is a call for engines. Generally speaking, interior merchants do not 
understand the operation and handling of a gasoline engine any 
better than the farmer does, which accounts in a large measure for 
their reluctance to keep a stock of engines and push their sale. An 
educational campaign among dealers and farmers like that which 
has been so consistently followed in the United States for many years 
would produce good results if it were not for the high cost of fuel. 
With fuel at its present price it is doubtful if the results would war¬ 
rant the outlay necessary to make a general campaign. In the first 
place, traveling expenses range from 30 to 50 per cent higher than 
in this country, and it is necessary to see the dealers and farmers 
personally, as many of the latter can not read advertising literature. 
To carry on a sales and educational campaign of this kind would 
doubtless cost more than the results would warrant. 


IV. TRADE METHODS AND SUGGESTIONS. 


The greater part of the farm implements and machinery sold in 
Argentina is imported by three large firms and about six or seven 
smaller ones. An agreement or convenio has been entered into 
which fixes prices and terms of sale governing nearly all lines, and 
most of the houses are parties to the agreement. Any member who 
has signed the convenio and who sells goods below the established 
price or who violates the clauses regarding consignment of machinery 
and terms is penalized by a heavy fine. The success of the convenio 
has resulted in placing the business as a whole on a more satisfactory 
basis. The prices agreed upon are fair to both importer and con¬ 
sumer, as only a fair margin of profit is added to the landed cost of 
the goods, plus the cost of doing business. It is significant that 
houses who have not signed the convenio and who do not operate 
under its terms can at best only grant a retail dealer a commission 
of 20 per cent from list in place of 15 per cent given under the terms 
of the convenio. 

The large firms and several of the smaller ones have branch houses 
in Rosario, Bahia Blanca, and several other cities, all important 
centers in the districts where they are located. These firms are whole¬ 
salers as well as retailers. Big stocks of goods are carried at the 
branch houses, and travelers or “blockmen,” assisted by the neces¬ 
sary number of mechanics or experts, are sent out from the mam 
houses and from the branch houses. 

Most of the importing firms handle hardware, lumber, automobiles, 
sanitary and plumbing supplies, electrical, industrial, and farm 
machinery, tools, and a varied stock of kindred lines. Most of the 
firms own the properties they occupy, and some of them are among 
the handsomest of their kind in the world. The methods of handling 
the business are very systematic, and both in the house and in the 
field are similar to methods employed in the same lines in the United 
States. The important lines are separated into departments with a 
manager in charge of each. All of the houses, by reason of the fact 
that they have been long established in the country and are well and 
favorably known, have an important mail-order business. In order 
to properly handle the mail-order business and to assist the traveling 
salesmen the houses prepare handsome general catalogues, all of 
which are printed in the Spanish language, and supplement these 
with special catalogues covering separate lines and with neatly 
printed circulars and envelope inserts. 

Two of the large importing houses are English, with offices in 
London and New York City. Another is German, with a purchasing 
office in New York City. One of the houses of secondary importance, 
probably the largest in its class, is German, and has a representative 
in New York City. 

Native firms and even foreign firms not already engaged in the 
importation of agricultural implements and kindred lines—and espe- 
78 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


79 


cially is this true of the hundreds of retail dealers in the country— 
have no desire to enter the business and import for their own account 
in competition with the large old-established houses. Occasionally 
some one with the idea that he can make some easy money seeks the 
agency of a foreign manufacturer: generally he begins by asking the 
manufacturer to advance a considerable sum for propaganda work, 
which sum, if advanced, is expended in salary and traveling expenses 
incurred by the commission agent. The implement trade in Argen¬ 
tina is well established, is based on a solid foundation, and manu¬ 
facturers would do well to avoid any propositions of this kind. Those 
who are in a position to get any considerable amount of business in 
any of the implement or farm-machinery lines do not have to resort 
to such tactics to get a good start. This is a true report of the 
Argentine situation, but it is altogether likely that the statement 
will have to be modified somewhat in writing about Brazil and some 
of the other South American countries. 

CONCENTRATION OF THE IMPORT BUSINESS. 

For years the tendency in the implement business in Argentina has 
been toward concentration in the hands of a few, and this tendency 
will increase rather than diminish. It is a recognized fact that a 
house without a good harvesting-machinery line can not for very long 
hold a prominent place as an implement and farm-machinery house, 
and as the sources of supply for this very necessary line are limited, 
it is doubtful if the conditions which now prevail will change in years 
to come. A very great percentage of the American implements and 
farm machinery imported into Argentina is sold by factory sales 
organizations direct to the importer. New York commission mer¬ 
chants have done some wonderfully good work in assisting the 
smaller manufacturers to get started, but the volume of business 
which they can get must he limited, for the reason that they do not 
carry large stocks of implements and repair parts. 

Most manufacturers who sell direct to importers have self-renewing 
contracts which run from year to year and provide for an annual 
meeting for the purpose of adjusting prices, should market conditions 
warrant it. Many of the larger houses place with manufacturers 
large orders which are carried in open account and are executed with¬ 
out question. 

An overwhelming percentage of the implements and farm machines 
and kindred lines imported into Argentina is of American manufac¬ 
ture. This is due to the fact that a large area of similar agricultural 
country in the United States has given rise to the production of large 
quantities of implements of the most advanced type, which can be 
produced here in large quantities at lower prices than elsewhere. 
Most agricultural implements are entered free of duty and the tariff 
on the remainder is so low as to be hardly worthy of mention. 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL MANUFACTURERS. 

The question most frequently asked with reference to the Argentine 
market is whether or not the small manufacturer can compete, and 
to this the answer must be both yes and no. Some of the smallest 
manufacturers in their respective lines have succeeded in doing a 


80 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


large volume of business through jobbers in Buenos Aires, a volume 
which has compared very favorably with that obtained by the large 
manufacturers in the same lines. The whole secret lies in getting a 
good, lasting cojinection with a Buenos Aires importer. On the other 
hand, through the lack of suitable connections, some very large manu¬ 
facturers have been in a position to get only a limited amount of 
business, and many small manufacturers have found themselves in 
the same position. If a manufacturer loses an agency in Buenos 
Aires, no matter whether he is a large one or a small one, he will 
have great difficulty in placing his line unless he can and wants to 
open a branch house. This is clue to the fact that new firms, as a gen¬ 
eral rule, are not seeking to enter the implement business. The 
manufacturer seeking to place an implement line with any importer 
in Buenos Aires, which is the center of the industry, must be certain 
that the house to which he entrusts his business has a good, active 
harvesting-machinery line. If it has no harvesting-machinery line, 
it can not get a big share of the trade in any implement line. 

Agricultural implement importing houses in Buenos Aires all have 
full and complete lines of implements of American manufacture, and 
it is a very rare occurrence to find one of them in the market for a 
new line, unless of course it is something entirely new to the industry. 
Buenos Aires importing houses have assisted the manufacturers 
whom they represent in building up their lines, so that all of them are 
now highly perfected and will not require many changes in construc¬ 
tion. The importer, after working in perfect harmony with the 
manufacturer for so many years, does not have any desire to break 
off the pleasant relationship which has existed between them, nor is 
the manufacturer, as a rule, seeking to make a change. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF BRANCH HOUSES. 

The testimony of everyone in the implement trade in Argentina 
to-day is to the effect that small manufacturers would have to unite 
with other small manufacturers handling related lines and establish 
joint branch houses in Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Bahia Blanca, 
with the main house in Buenos Aires. A house of this kind, pro¬ 
vided it is managed by competent technical men in conjunction with 
men having a good knowledge of the country, and also provided it 
was equipped with a good harvesting-machinery line as well as other 
lines for which there is a demand, and which are described in this 
report, could not help but succeed. Growth would not be rapid, but 
it would be steady. There is an immense field for the sale of Ameri¬ 
can implements, and it will continue to expand indefinitely. The 

E eople of the country like American implements and are used to 
andling them. While at one time long credits were the rule rather 
than the exception, all of that has been done away with. Few lines 
of endeavor present so many possibilities for steady growth and 
expansion as the implement business in Argentina, if handled under 
an arrangement suggested above. Within the country are many 
young and middle-aged men familiar with the implement business, 
speaking both English and Spanish, and also having a good knowledge 
of the country and its requirements, who may be employed in the 
office or as traveling salesmen. 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


81 


BRANCH-HOUSE TERRITORY. 

A branch house in Bahia Blanca can properly handle the southern 
and southwestern agricultural districts of the Republic, working 
northward until it conies to the territory which can better be handled 
by the main branch house in Buenos Aires. The main branch house, 
with possibly one or two transfer houses in important centers of its 
territory can handle all of the central part of the Republic from 
Buenos Aires westward and northward as far as Rosario. The 
Rosario branch can well take care of the northern part of the Republic. 

A combination of three branch houses, situated in the three im¬ 
portant cities, all of which are ports, with warehouse facilities at 
each place for storing goods, with from 12 to 15 “blockmen” 
or traveling salesmen, each assisted by from 2 to 5 experts or 
mechanics, and with a complete line of farm implements and ma¬ 
chinery is one that is hard to beat. Careful attention to every detail 
of the business, prompt execution of orders for machinery or repairs, 
and real service to the purchasing public would insure success and 
enable small manufacturers to have a share of export business which 
would help to keep their factories running during the dull season at 
home and thus cut down the overhead expenses. 

RENTS. 

In Bahia Blanca and in Rosario suitable offices and sample rooms 
can be rented for $200 to $225 a month. In Buenos Aires the rent 
would be very much higher and would range between $450 and $900 
a month, depending on the size of the building. Warehouses in 
each of these three centers would cost from $250 to $500 a month, 
depending on size and location. Electric light service is not an im¬ 
portant item, because the heaviest work comes in summer when the 
days are long and no artificial light is required; even in winter 
this service is generally not required during more than two hours of 
the day. 

EMPLOYEES AND SALARIES. 

Plenty of reasonably efficient clerical help can be found in any of 
the three port cities where the establishment of branch houses would 
be necessary. Salaries paid will probably not average more than 10 
per cent more than is paid for similar work in the United States, and 
considering the difference in the cost of living, which is much higher 
in Argentina than in the United States, the extra amount of money 
expended for clerical help is of minor importance. 

In a branch-house organization it would be advisable to have some 
American men of wide experience in charge of the different depart¬ 
ments. On account of the high cost of living and the great expense 
of even the simplest forms of amusements, the salaries of American 
executives would have to be increased by from 25 to 50 per cent over 
corresponding salaries in the United States. The exact amount 
would depend entirely on the man; some men are much more effi¬ 
cient when they have a reasonable amount of money to spend in 
pleasure out of business hours, and their efficiency should not be cut 
down by denying them the small extra amount it would take to 
allow them to develop on natural lines. On the other hand, it would 
59835°—16-6 


82 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 


not be wise to give a man who saves every cent of his salary and 
cares nothing for outside pleasure the same salary as one who does 
his best work when he is permitted to follow his natural inclinations. 
This is even more true oi a man many miles away from home in a 
foreign country than of one away from home in his own country. 
The field work should be handled by men who have had traveling 
sales experience in the United States, and there ought to be at least 
one general traveler, also with American experience, who could go 
to any salesman's territory and give him friendly cooperation and 
assistance. 

PROFITS. 


Manufacturers who want to enter the Argentine or any other 
foreign market should arrange to quote prices for their product, 
properly boxed for export shipment and delivered f. a. s. New York 
City. No single thing leads to so much trouble as the quoting of 
prices f. o. b. cars at factory, f. o. b. cars in New York City, or in 
any other place. The foreign merchant wants to know what the 
goods he intends purchasing are going to cost him f. a. s. in New 
York Harbor, so he can figure the landed cost at his port. 

In normal times, prior to the war in Europe, Buenos Aires importers 
of implements generally figured that 25 per cent added to the cost 
f. a. s. in New York Harbor would allow enough margin to pay all 
costs incident to putting the goods in a warehouse in one of the three 
port cities in Argentina. In other words, the price f. a. s. in New 
York Harbor with 25 per cent added represents the landed cost in 
an Argentine port. These figures seem somewhat high, but as a 
majority of the importing houses figure their landed costs in that 
way it is better to use the figures they do. To the landed cost 56 
per cent is added to find the list price, which is also the retail price. 
To dealers a discount of 15 per cent is given, with an additional dis¬ 
count of 5 per cent for cash in 30 days. 

In the case of repairs a different method is used. With the excep¬ 
tion of a few very necessary repairs, the nature of which causes them 
to wear out very rapidly and on which special prices are given, the 
American manufacturer's list price is multiplied by five, and the 
result is the Argentine list price in paper money. In other words, a 
repair listed at $1 in the American manufacturer's catalogue is listed 
at $5 Argentine paper in the Argentine importer’s catalogue. An 
Argentine paper dollar is worth $0.4246 American money, therefore 
the Argentine list price is $2.12 American money. Dealers get a 
discount of 15 per cent with an additional discount of 5 per cent for 
cash in 30 days. As most American manufacturers allow a discount 
from list of 50 per cent or even more, a repair listed in the American 
catalogue at $1 can be placed in a warehouse by the Argentine 
importer at a price which does not exceed $0.63. If the repair is 
sold at retail the selling price is $2.12; if at wholesale the selling price 
is $1.71, assuming that advantage is taken of the cash discount. 

The selling prices of all implements and repairs in Argentina leave 
a substantial margin of profit, the business is a good, clean one, 
always full of interest, and one that merits careful study and atten¬ 
tion. 

The large manufacturer, if he loses a valuable agent who has been 
handling his fines for years, is no better off than a small manufac- 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


83 


turer in the same position. Either of them will find it very difficult 
to make new arrangements, and generally the only course left open 
is to establish a branch house. Manufacturers, either large or small, 
who have not been doing business in Argentina can only hope to do 
business in that country by opening their own branch houses or by 
joining with other manufacturers and opening joint branch houses. 

CREDITS AND BANKING FACILITIES. 

The question of credits in Argentina is not so difficult as in some 
other South American countries. The large importing houses are 
very strong and have high commercial ratings. These large houses 
generally make contracts with the manufacturers whose lines they 
sell, and the contracts are self-renewing and provide for an annual 
meeting to adjust prices should market conditions warrant any 
change. 

In all parts of the interior of the country one finds large retail houses 
which are also very strong, and which, generally speaking, are old- 
established houses. Of late years these retail merchants in increas¬ 
ing numbers have recognized the value of supplying commercial 
agencies with full information regarding their financial standing. It 
is a very easy matter for American manufacturers to obtain the credit 
rating of Argentine firms through American mercantile agencies. 
The National City Bank of New York has a branch establishment in 
Buenos Aires and correspondents in Rosario. 

Among scores of banks of all nationalities the Banco de la Nacion 
(Bank of the Nation) is the most important. There are a number of 
very strong and important British and European hanks, nearly all 
of which do an international business. 

LANGUAGE, CURRENCY, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES. 

Spanish is the official language of Argentina and is the only lan¬ 
guage generally used in business. The thousands of Italians who 
settled in the country soon learned to speak Spanish and have given 
the language many phrases from the Italian, so there is a consider¬ 
able difference between pure Castilian and the language spoken in 
Argentina. Catalogues for importers and wholesale dealers need be 
printed only in English. Those for general distribution in the coun¬ 
try must be printed in Spanish, and it is a waste of time and money 
to send anything else. 

Argentine currency is on a gold basis, but very little gold is ever 
used in commercial transactions. The paper peso and nickel coins 
are generally circulated, the latter in denominations of 5, 10, and 
20 cents, paper values. Everyone is familiar with American cur¬ 
rency, and prices may be quoted and invoices made out in that 
currency. The metric system of weights and measures is used 
throughout the Republic. Important measures are the hectare, 
equal to 2.47 acres; the kilometer, equal to 0.6214 mile; and the 
kilo, equal to 2.2 avoirdupois pounds. 

TRANSPORTATION ROUTES—RAILWAYS. 

In normal times good transportation facilities are provided between 
New York City and Buenos Aires, Rosario, and Bahia Blanca. There 


84 AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY. 

are regular mail boats at least every two weeks, and generally much 
oftener. Besides these there are a large number of freight steamers. 
The time from New York to Buenos Aires by mail steamers is 24 
days, and freight boats make the trip in 24 to 30 days. Just now 
there is a great scarcity of steamers, and freight rates have risen in 
some instances 400 or 500 per cent. In all probability that condi¬ 
tion will continue until the end of the Europ 2 an war. 

All important centers in Argentina are connected by a network of 
railways which extends to all parts of the country. In 1857 there 
were 6.2 miles of railway line, with invested capital of $285,108; in 
1914 there were 21,350 miles, representing capital of $1,236,723,022. 
The railways for the most part have been built with British capital, 
and the most important ones are British owned. The railways are 
under the jur’sdiction of the Minister of Public Works and are con¬ 
trolled by the General Railway Board. Until 1872 the Government 
exercised no control over the operations of the railway companies. 
Even then an attempt was made only to fiscalize the accounts, and 
details regarding working and exploitation were not touched by the 
Government. A new law, passed in 1891, enlarged the powers of 
the Government in the latter respect. It created the General Rail¬ 
way Board, which actively intervenes in questions arising out of the 
administration and legal status of the different companies. The 
functions of the General Railway Board are to maintain harmonious 
relations between the companies and the public and to guard the 
interests of each. 

All materials for railway construction, maintenance, and exploita¬ 
tion are imported free of duty, and the railways are free from any 
taxation. Three per cent of the net profits of each company, how¬ 
ever, must be used in the construction of roads of access to stations. 
The total yield of this levy for the year ended June 30, 1914, was 
$3,108,028 paper. New material imported free of duty during the 
same period was valued at more than $27,000,000 paper. A frequent 
service of good trains is maintained to all portions of the settled dis¬ 
tricts of the Republic. 

SUGGESTIONS TO MANUFACTURERS. 

Argentina offers a market in the different lines which is full of pos¬ 
sibilities. The country is bound to grow and expand, and as even 
now it is more important than many European countries, it will one 
day be the largest country in the world speaking a Latin tongue. 
The steady increase in the importation of agricultural implements 
until the outbreak of the European war unsettled trading conditions 
may be taken as an indication of what will happen again as soon as 
conditions become more settled. 

Argentina is a very attractive country. It grows on one the more 
he sees of it. Its people are very hospitable, and it is a pleasure to 
do business with them, especially in the implement lines, because 
everything is done on a large scale without much annoyance from 
too great attention to petty detail. Men selected to represent Ameri¬ 
can manufacturers should be men of wide general experience and 
dignified bearing. 

Manufacturers who can make a short visit to Argentina will never 
regret the expense of time and money and can learn more from per- 


MARKETS IN ARGENTINA. 


85 


sonal observation in a short time than they can be told by anyone, 
no matter how familiar he may be with the country and with every 
detail of the business in which they are interested. 

ARGENTINE INTERNATIONAL TRADE. 

Since the beginning of the European war, despite the fact that 
Argentina’s position was strengthened by an increase in value of 
agricultural and animal products, the trade with other countries has 
suffered a severe check, due to the lack of sufficient ships. During 
the last six months of 1915 conditions improved somewhat, but there 
is room for great improvement at this date (May, 1916). 

The total foreign trade of Argentina during the last three years is 
represented by the following figures: 1913, $904,857,089; 1914, 

$621,072,041; 1915, $785,173,376. The surplus of exports over 
imports in the same years was $62,152,005, $77,436,241, and 
$331,387,910, respectively. In 1915 the imports totaled $226,892,733 
and the exports $558,280,643. The foregoing figures and those in 
the first three tables following are for calendar years and are given 
in Argentine gold currency, $1 of which equals $0,965 United States 
currency. 

The following table shows the development of Argentine foreign 
commerce by decades during the period 1866 to 1915: 


Years. 

Total foreign 
trade. 

Increase over former 
decade. 

Amount. 

Per cent. 

1866-1875. 

8875,559,141 

1,164, 405, 854 
2,068,549,494 
3,135,390,608 
7,075,626,271 



1876-1885. 

$288, $46,7i3 
904,143,640 
1,066,841,114 
3,940,235,663 

32.9 

77.6 

51.5 

125.6 

1886-1895. 

1896-1905. 

1906-1915. 



The progress of the meat trade is shown in the next table, which 
gives exports of live stock and meat products in 1885 and 1915: 


Articles. 

1885 

1915 

Articles. 

1885 

1915 

Live stock: 

Cattle. 

$2,345,313 

58,552 

1,680 

75,323 

$3,100,830 
72,504 
76,175,100 
6,307,190 
725,278 

3,194,407 

Extract of meat. 

Powdered meat. 


$743,298 
141,439 
170,947 
565,471 
50,941 

91,247,405 

Sheep. 

Preserved tongues. 


Chilled and frozen beef.... 

Frozen mutton. 

Sundry frozen meats. 

Sundry meats preserved.. 

Condensed soup. 

Jerked beef. 

Total. 

$4,204,077 

6,684,945 


The progress made in the export of grain and cereals has been still 
more rapid during the same period, as indicated by the following 
table: 


Articles. 

1885 

1915 



$19,065,704 
93,475,450 
132,632,073 
10,071,960 
46,100, 866 

Corn. 

$3,957,191 
3,139, 736 
521,295 
3,471,305 

Wheat. 

Wheat flnnr. . 

Linseed. 

Total... . 

11,089,527 

301,346,053 






















































86 


AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY, 


The following figures show the effects of the European war on 
trade between South America and the United States: 


Year?, 
ended 
Juno 30— 

Imports from South America. 

Exports to Soulh America. 

Total. 

Increase. 

Argentina’s 

share. 

Increase. 

Total. 

Decrease. 

Argentina's 

share. 

Decrease. 

1913. 

$217, 734,629 
222,677,075 
261,489.563 

Per cent. 

£26, S63,732 
45,123,988 
73,766,258 

Per cent. 

£146,147,993 
124,539,909 
99,323,957 

Per cent. 

$52,849, c 34 
45,179,089 
32,549,606 

Per cent. 

1911. 

1915. 

2.3 

17.4 

67.9 

63.5 

J4.8 

20.2 

14.6 

27.9 


The following table gives the value of the principal articles 
exported from the United States to Argentina during the fiscal year 
1914. Agricultural implements do not make a good showing for 
reasons explained elsewhere. 


Articles. 

Value. 

Articles. 

Value. 

Oils, animal, mineral, and vegetable.... 
Engines, locomotives and railway ma¬ 
terial. 

$8,114,629 

5,557,770 

7,385,650 

4,344, 886 

4,307, 669 

1,504,454 

1,980, 721 

Automobiles, bicycles, motor and other 
cycles, and parts of. 

$1,146,658 
1,~90,054 
1,048,833 
777.686 
730,313 
6,519,866 

Fibers, vegetable, and manufactures of. 
Chemicals, drugs, dyes, and medicines. 
Naval stores. 

Wood, and manufactures of. 

Agricultural implements. 

Iron and steel,* partly manufactured 
and manufactures of. 

Paper, and manufactures of. 

Other goods. 

Cars, carriages, and other vehicles. 

Leather, and manufactures of. 

Total. 

45,179,089 




Argentina received 36.3 per cent of all the exports sent from the 
United States to South America in 1914. 


Note.— A list of the principal importers of agricultural implements and machinery 
in Argentina may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce 
or its branch and cooperative offices. 












































































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